Earlier this week, Parke-Davis chairman and managing director Pramod H Lele told The Financial Express that he was open to the divestment of Neko, though it is unclear if an official mandate for the sale of the brand has been assigned.

The Neko brand, a trademark of Parke, Davis & Co, USA, is known for its trichlorocarbanilide (TCC)-based skin care qualities. The brand is manufactured by Godrej Soaps and marketed by Parke-Davis India. Neko, along with pain reliever balm, Sloans, accounts for around three per cent of the company's sales.

The proposed weeding out of slow-moving brands comes even as the company is on the lookout for brand acquisitions essentially in core segments like cardiovascular therapy, central nervous system, consumer healthcare and gynaecology etc.

Analysts say that the company is initiallytargeting brands worth at least Rs 25 crore in its areas of interest, though this figure could be revised significantly upwards if the parent company decides to increase its holding in the Indian arm to 51 per cent or more. American parent Warner Lambert currently holds 40 per cent of Parke-Davis India's equity.

"In fact, indications are that the company may also examine the option of flushing out other low turnover brands like Listerine and Sloans balm. This would eventually help improve profitability," an analyst added.

Estimated sales of Listerine, a stomatological and pain reliever balm Sloans, are in the region of Rs 3 crore and Rs 2.3 crore, respectively. This is in comparison with sales of around Rs 38 crore in the case of major cough syrup brand Benedryl and Rs 29 crore in the case of the antacid brand Gelusil.

Meanwhile, the company has also launched a host of line extensions to leverage on the strong brand equity of its existing products. These include Lopid OD, a one-day version of lipidregulator brand Lopid, Kapseals, an anti-epileptic with a lower strength, anti-hypertensive Atpark and Gelusil Plus -- a fortified line extension in the antacids segment. The company has also relaunched food supplement of yesteryear, Ferradol.