Japan's Suntory to buy GSK drink brands for $2.1 bn

A woman sips a Ribena drink in London, March 28, 2007. Japanese drinks giant Suntory Holdings is to buy the Lucozade and Ribena brands from British drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline for $2.1 billion. (AFP/File)

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese drinks giant Suntory Holdings said Monday it would buy the Lucozade and Ribena brands from British drugs firm GlaxoSmithKline for $2.1 billion.

The deal, part of Suntory's bid to expand overseas to counter a shrinking domestic market, was expected to be completed by the end of the year, Suntory said.