Reckitt Benckiser has bought a manufacturer of traditional Chinese sore-throat remedies as part of a drive to add more holistic treatments to its stable of western healthcare brands.
The UK-headquartered maker of Nurofen painkillers, Strepsils lozenges and Durex condoms yesterday said it had acquired Oriental Medicine Company for an undisclosed sum. Reckitt said the deal’s cost was modest as it unveiled its annual results: pre-tax profits rose 2 per cent and the dividend 7 per cent.
The deal represents an eye-catching diversification for a western consumer goods group and comes in the wake of Reckitt’s purchase of Schiff Nutrition International, a US vitamin company, for $1.4bn late last year.