Listerine business sold in €13bn deal

Healthcare brands including Listerine and Nicorette were today sold to Johnson & Johnson in a deal worth $16.6bn US dollars (€13.2bn).

The proposed sale of Pfizer’s personal care and over-the-counter products, which generated revenues of $3.9bn (€3.1bn) in 2005, is expected to give Johnson market leadership in nine areas, including smoking cessation and mouthwash, and consolidate its position as the world’s biggest consumer healthcare company.