Consumer Health Providing J&J With Much Needed Support

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is hopeful that the purchase of fellow US healthcare giant Pfizer's OTC division in 2006, for US$16.6bn will help drive sales in the coming years. J&J has bet heavily on brands such as Listerine, the world's No.1 mouthwash, and the adhesive bandage Band-Aid and consumer health now makes up around 25% of company sales. However, BMI warns that increasing the share of its OTC business will not be enough to stave the threat of patent expiries for a number of J&J's key prescription-only products.

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