The move is likely to follow the completion next month of Johnson & Johnson's acquisition of Pfizer, which owns brands that include Listerine and Nicorette.
J&J executives are already believed to have instigated talks about moving the Pfizer business, which is held by Carat or MindShare in the majority of markets, into the IPG agencies.
The £21m UK business is expected to move into Initiative, the incumbent on J&J. The account is currently held by MindShare.
Recent reports had suggested that J&J was to launch a wider pitch process in the second quarter of next year, with a view to consolidating the business following the acquisition of Pfizer.
However, it is now unclear how the Pfizer/IPG news will affect the plans.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum.
