(Reuters) - Private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is nearing a deal to acquire Sanofi's consumer health unit for about 15 billion euros ($16.4 billion), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

Sanofi has been planning to spin off or sell its consumer unit to shore up new drug development spending at its core business.

The deal could be announced in the coming days, the report said.

Sanofi and CD&R did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

In September, Bloomberg reported that Sanofi had received two separate bids from CD&R and rival PAI Partners for the unit.

CD&R has kept away interest from rival PAI Partners for the Opella unit, the Thursday report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi announced in October 2023 that it was reviewing potential separation scenarios for its consumer healthcare business, with a transaction in the fourth quarter at the earliest.

($1 = 0.9145 euros)

(Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)