The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) told IMS last year that it had to sell certain of SDI’s data products by the end of January, to prevent the combined company from becoming too dominant in both promotional audits – which track advertising for branded drugs, and medical audits – which measure the diagnoses and treatments provided by doctors.

The businesses will become part of Campbell Alliance, a pharma management consulting firm owned by InVentiv. They represent less than $15m or approximately 10% of SDI’s 2011 revenue, IMS said.

IMS will continue to sell its existing medical and promotional research services.