LONDON: Pfizer plans to sell its 32% stake in Haleon, its consumer health venture with British drugmaker GSK, after the business lists as an independent company in July, GSK said on Wednesday.
GSK is spinning off Haleon, which makes Sensodyne toothpaste and Advil painkillers, so it can focus on vaccines and prescription drugs. GSK rejected a 50 billion pound ($63 billion) offer for Haleon last year, saying it undervalued the firm.
Pfizer has previously indicated it wanted to sell its stake in Haleon but GSK, which owns 68% of the world’s biggest consumer health business, said in February that the US drugmaker would keep its stake after a flotation.
A Pfizer spokesperson said on Wednesday that the US company had always intended to sell its Haleon stake over time.
GSK has applied to Britain’s regulator to list Haleon on the London Stock Exchange on July 18 and said it expected to apply to list it on the New York Stock Exchange as well soon.
Pfizer, GSK and other current Haleon stakeholders have committed to a lock-up period until November, so as not to jeopardise the stock of the new independent company, GSK said.
Expectations for the consumer healthcare venture’s market valuation are high after GSK rejected the 50 billion pound offer from Unilever, which abandoned its pursuit in January.
If GSK secures valuation of 50 billion pounds or more it would be the largest listing by market capitalisation on the London Stock Exchange in at least two decades, excluding joint listings made via the Shanghai London Stock Connect project.
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