A number one personal fairness investor is among the many suitors circling Nicotinell, the anti-smoking support which has been earmarked on the market by its FTSE-100 proprietor.

Sky News has learnt that Inflexion, which has backed corporations similar to Goals Soccer Centres and Mountain Warehouse, is on an inventory of bidders in talks with Haleon about shopping for the model.

City sources stated this weekend that bidders had been hoping to pay considerably lower than an $800m price ticket mooted in a report in regards to the potential sale final month.

The disposal of Nicotinell would come as smoking cessation merchandise expertise blended fortunes.

Haleon, which was spun out of GlaxoSmithKline, the prescription drugs big, final yr, owns a few of the world's main shopper healthcare merchandise.

Its chief govt, Brian McNamara, desires to promote non-core manufacturers so as to drive a extra targeted portfolio and pay down debt.

Nicotinell, which is bought in patch, gum and lozenge kind, is alleged to be the second-largest nicotine substitute remedy product globally.

It was unclear this weekend whether or not a carve-out of Nicotinell from its listed mum or dad firm can be complicated.

Inflexion is known to be vying with different buyout companies and strategic bidders for the model.

Inflexion declined to remark.