By Sharon Terlep and Jonathan D. Rockoff 

Procter & Gamble Co. is near a deal to acquire the consumer-health business from Germany's Merck KGaA, people familiar with the matter said, adding vitamins and food supplements to P&G's lineup of over-the-counter medicines.

The transaction could be announced as soon as Thursday, the people said. Terms couldn't be learned. Analysts have estimated the Merck KGaA unit could fetch more than $4 billion in a sale.

It would be one of the biggest acquisitions in recent years for the Cincinnati giant, which has been struggling with slow growth in key markets and falling revenue in its big Gillette razor business. P&G is expected to report its latest quarterly results on Thursday morning, after moving the announcement a day earlier.

The Merck KGaA business manufactures over-the-counter products and generates around $1 billion in annual sales from a portfolio of 10 core brands that are sold in more than 40 markets but not the U.S. Its products include vitamins, Febimion supplements for women, Seven Seas cod liver oil and Nasivin nasal decongestant.

The German company put the unit on the block last year to focus its health care activities on prescription drugs. It isn't affiliated with Merck & Co., the U.S. drug maker.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 18, 2018 23:52 ET (03:52 GMT)