Proctor & Gamble is set to focus on its consumer products business as the US giant eyes the sale of its pharmaceuticals arm.

P&G had been considering the sale of its brands including Duracell batteries, Iams pet food and Pringles, according to the Financial Times.

However, news the company is now seeking buyers for its drugs arm means P&G is likely to hang on to its most high-profile consumer brands.

Consolidation in the pharmaceutical sector is likely to ease a sale in that sector, while a lack of funds among private equity investors means the consumer products, conversely, could prove much harder to shift.

“I have to think they’ve decided now is not the best time to divest Duracell, Iams or Pringles,” an analyst told the FT. “They’re pretty methodical and I know they went through all of those.”

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