Abbott is considering selling its newly acquired Solvay Pharmaceuticals' flu vaccine unit, Abbott spokesman Scott Stoffel told DOTmed News. The Solvay Pharmaceuticals acquisition was completed last February.

Stoffel couldn't give further details on why the company looks to sell the flu vaccine unit or what companies may be interested in the purchase. But to one analyst group, this decision is not surprising.

"Abbott's decision to sell off the company's flu vaccine business does not come as a surprise, as the company is a niche player without critical mass in the increasingly competitive seasonal flu vaccine market," according to Datamonitor Group remarks sent to DOTmed News.

Even if the company does decide to nix its vaccine unit, Abbott will still have a pharmaceutical business, said Stoffel. "Solvay Pharmaceuticals is much broader," he said. "The vaccine unit is just a piece of the business."

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