Sale of Ratiopharm to start next month-sources

By Frank Siebelt and Philipp Halstrick

FRANKFURT, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Creditor banks of dead German industrialist Adolf Merckle are preparing to start the sales process for generic drug maker Ratiopharm and drugs wholesaler Phoenix as early as February, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Two trustees will be appointed, one for each company, to oversee the sale and to select banks for managing the transactions, the sources said.

"This ...