• Brandweek, Friday, February 10, 2006 11:30 AM

Some of the biggest, most famous brands in the OTC medicine category might be up for grabs in the near future. Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said it would consider spinning off or selling powerhouse products including Listerine, Lubriderm, Sudafed, Visine, Benadryl and Rolaids. "The objective of the review is to unlock the value of the business for Pfizer shareholders at a time when market valuations are attractive for large, high-quality consumer businesses," Pfizer said. The brands reportedly produce about $3.9 billion a year in revenues for Pfizer, whose total sales are in the $50 billion range. By contrast, Pfizer's star performer, prescription-only Lipitor, has sales of more than $10 billion alone. In the past, Pfizer has divested itself of brands not related to its core business of prescription drugs. For example, it sold Adams candies and Schick-Wilkinson Sword after its acquisition of Warner-Lambert in 2000.

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