NEW YORK — Pfizer Inc. is assessing strategic options for its Pfizer Consumer Healthcare subsidiary, including a potential sale.

The pharmaceutical giant said this week that it’s considering “a full or partial separation of the Consumer Healthcare business from Pfizer through a spin-off, sale or other transaction.” However, the company noted that it may decided to keep the business unit.

Ian Read

“Pfizer Consumer Healthcare is a leading player in the largest O-T-C categories, with iconic brands, robust retail partnerships, global reach and strong fundamentals,” Pfizer chairman and chief executive officer Ian Read said in a statement. “Although there is a strong connection between Consumer Healthcare and elements of our core biopharmaceutical businesses, it is also distinct enough from our core business that there is potential for its value to be more fully realized outside the company.

“By exploring strategic options, we can evaluate how best to fuel the future success and expansion of Consumer Healthcare while simultaneously unlocking potential value for our shareholders,” Read explained.

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, whose 2016 sales totaled $3.4 billion, markets two of the 10 top-selling consumer health brands globally: Centrum and Advil, according to the company. The unit includes 10 brands that each topped $100 million in sales last year, and several local brands are top-ranked in their markets.