Procter & Gamble will acquire the Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, forapproximately 3.4 billion euro. The move enables P&G to expand its successful consumer health care business by adding a fast-growing portfolio of differentiated, physician-supported brands across a broad geographic footprint, according to Procter. It also provides P&G with strong health care commercial and supply capabilities, deep technical mastery and proven consumer health care leadership that will complement P&G's existing consumer Health Care capabilities and brands such as Vicks, Metamucil, Pepto-Bismol, Crest and Oral-B.

“We like the steady, broad-based growth of the OTC Health Care market and are pleased to add the Consumer Health portfolio and people of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, to the P&G family,” said David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer.

P&G’s acquisition of the Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, will improve P&G’s OTC geographic scale, brand portfolio and category footprint in the vast majority of the world’s top 15 OTC markets. These brands provide great solutions in relieving muscle, joint and back pain, colds and headaches, as well as supporting physical activity and mobility, many of which are treatment areas not currently addressed in P&G’s portfolio.

“Over the past few years, our Health Care business has delivered consistent growth and strong shareholder value creation,“ said Steve Bishop, Group President, Global Health Care. “The Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, brings a strong set of brands, products and capabilities, and provides an attractive and complementary footprint to further fuel growth as we continue to grow our existing leading brands.”
 

The acquisition of the Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, replaces and improves upon the PGT Healthcare joint venture P&G had with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which will be terminated July 1, 2018, pending regulatory approvals.
 

The $1 billion Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, grew 6% over the past two years and provides a broad range of OTC product remedies to relieve muscle, joint and back pain, colds and headaches as well as products for supporting physical activity and mobility. Top brands include Neurobion, Dolo-Neurobion, Femibion, Nasivin, Bion3, Seven Seas and Kytta, along with many others. These are sold primarily in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
 

“These leading brands and the great employees of the Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, will complement our Personal Health Care business very well,” said Tom Finn, President, P&G Global Personal Health Care. “This acquisition helps us continue to drive sales and profit growth for P&G by providing the capabilities and portfolio scale we need to operate a winning global OTC business on our own, without the aid of a health care partner.”

The Consumer Health business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is active across 44 countries and includes more than 900 products. P&G is targeting to close this deal during the 2018/19 fiscal year, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances.