HEALTH

Pharmaceutical Firms Sign Joint Venture Agreement: Warner-Lambert Co. and Wellcome agreed to set up a joint U.S. venture to market consumer health products, including an over-the-counter version of Wellcome’s antiviral drug Zovirax. The first agreement signed since their alliance was announced in July, the deal calls for Warner-Lambert to get 70% of the profits on most products sold and Wellcome 30%, after an initial phase-in period. Zovirax would be an exception. Warner-Lambert said Wellcome would get more than 50% of the profits from the over-the-counter drug currently being reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for herpes. The joint venture is expected to have annual sales of more than $1.6 billion.