Oct 10 (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)