Sanofi in Australian vitamin deal

Sanofi has a dedicated focus on manufacturing, Primary said

French drugs giant Sanofi-Aventis is to buy Australia's largest distributor of vitamin supplements.

It will pay 560m Australian dollars ($545m; £274m) to Primary Health Care for the company.

Primary acquired the distributor when it bought Symbion Health in February and Primary said the sale would pay off debt from funding the Symbion deal.

Primary added the sale would help it to focus on core businesses and integrate the rest of the Symbion business.

Primary said that the "employees and customers will benefit under the new ownership of Sanofi-Aventis with its dedicated focus on the manufacture and marketing of healthcare products".