In dealtalk, Blackstone and Lion Capital are to make a joint bid for Lucozade and Ribena from big pharma Roche.

Private equity firms Blackstone and Lion Capital have teamed up to make a formal bid worth more than a billion pounds for Lucozade and Ribena, the two soft drink brands put up for sale by drugmaker GSK, according to dealtalk.

GSK has been increasingly focusing its consumer health operations on emerging markets and put Lucozade and Ribena -- brands that are big sellers in Britain but lack global reach -- up for sale as they no longer fit in with the company's portfolio.

Last month, GSK said it had appointed JPMorgan and Greenhill to advise it on the sale.

Blackstone and Lion Capital have appointed bankers at Rothschild to advise them on their bid, Sky News reported.

Both Blackstone and Lion Capital could not be reached for comment outside regular businesshours.

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