LONDON: The United States and China will be key focuses for the consumer healthcare venture being formed by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, as the companies look to build on strong existing positions in those markets.
"The U.S. and China are really two of the key value drivers of the deal because it's where Pfizer has critical mass and a significant amount of their key brands," he said in an interview, noting the new entity will be the No.1 player in the United States and No.2 in China."U.S. and China are must-win markets."
The new, yet-to-be-named company will have annual sales of 9.8 billion pounds and more than 7 percent of the global consumer health market, with brands also including Centrum vitamins and Sensodyne toothpaste.Pfizer's Centrum is already the leading multivitamin in China, while Caltrate is the No.2 calcium supplement in what is one of the world's most calcium-deficient populations, McNamara said.