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LONDON — Global sales of natural and organic beauty products are projected to reach $9 billion this year, and although consumer demand for natural and organic products remains buoyant, new research finds the growth rate is slowing because of the weak economic climate.

LONDON and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Unilever has inked a definitive agreement to sell one of its divisions for $325 million in cash.

Unilever said it plans to sell its Culver Specialty Brands division — which houses such brands as Mrs. Dash, Molly McButter, Bakers Joy, Sugar Twin and Static Guard, which are sold in the United States and Canada — to B&G Foods. The division, which garnered $90 million in revenue for Unilever for the 12 months ended in September, became part of the company after Unilever's acquisition of Alberto-Culver.

LONDON — Unilever has agreed to acquire Russian beauty company Concern Kalina, which significantly will strengthen its foothold in skin care and hair care in Russia.

Unilever initially is acquiring 82% of Concern Kalina for approximately €390 million ($537 million). The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline is making a donation that it said would give more than 10,000 girls and women access to human papillomavirus vaccination.

GSK announced that it would donate $1 million worth of Cervarix (human papillomavirus bivalent [types 16 and 18] vaccine, recombinant) to the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon Partnership over the next five years, as well as $50,000 to support the program operations. The partnership is an initiative led by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, UNAIDS, the President's Emergency Relief Plan for AIDS Relief and the George W. Bush Institute.

LONDON and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Unilever announced on Wednesday that it has completed the sale of the Alberto VO5 brand in the United States and Puerto Rico and the Rave brand globally to private equity firm Brynwood Partners, following approval by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Terms were not disclosed.

Outside the United States and Puerto Rico, the Alberto VO5 brand will remain in Unilever’s portfolio.

LONDON — Drug makers GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort are seeking expanded approval for their restless legs syndrome treatment.

The drug makers this week announced the submission of a supplemental new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration, requesting approval for Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) extended-release tablets as a treatment for postherpetic neuralgia, a nerve pain that commonly is seen in patients with shingles. GSK submitted the sNDA on behalf of the two companies.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Reckitt Benckiser has launched a charity adventure competition on the company's Facebook page.

LONDON — One-third of spending on mental health in the United States, or $42 million, goes toward anxiety disorders, according to a new report by Companies & Markets.

The report found that the global anxiety disorders market would likely rise in value to $5.9 billion by 2017, thanks to increasing stress levels exacerbated by an unstable economic climate, the aging of the population, an increase in patients with anxiety disorders and new drug development.

LONDON and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Unilever has completed its $3.7 billion acquisition of Alberto Culver after obtaining the necessary regulatory clearances to do so, the companies jointly confirmed on Tuesday.

With the acquisition, Unilever becomes the world's leading company in hair conditioning, the second largest in shampoo and the third largest in styling. Alberto Culver generated annual sales in excess $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2010.

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline and Valeant last week responded to the Food and Drug Administration's complete response letter for the companies' investigational anti-epileptic drug.

LONDON — The ever-increasing popularity of vitamin D may have reached its plateau, suggested a report issued by Euromonitor International in late March, in part because of the vitamin’s ubiquity across the marketplace.

Accordingly, sales of vitamin D supplements may fall, especially sales of single-letter vitamin D, the report concluded.

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline on Thursday identified the remaining noncore over-the-counter brands that it intends to divest as the company focuses its Consumer Healthcare business around a portfolio of fast-growing priority brands and emerging markets.

GSK said it planned to contact companies interested in acquiring the brands over the next few weeks and expected to complete all divestitures by late 2011.