Pfizer Inc

may have to shed some of its animal-health business so that it can gain antitrust clearance for its planned purchase of Wyeth , the Wall Street Journal cited a Pfizer executive as saying on Wednesday.

Pfizer has a strong presence in companion and livestock animal-health products, while Wyeth is strong in animal vaccines, the paper cited D'Amelio as saying.

D'Amelio added that the companies also overlapped in those areas, and talks with antitrust authorities were ongoing, the paper said.

Pfizer said in January it would buy Wyeth in a deal then valued at $68 billion.

(Reporting by S. John Tilak in Bangalore, editing by Will Waterman)

Pfizer