Blackstone hired to sell drugmaker Stiefel -source

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Stiefel Laboratories Inc has put itself up for sale, asking the advisory arm of Blackstone Group (BX.N) to try and sell the U.S. skincare business, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday.

The privately-held pharmaceutical maker is the world's largest independent dermatology company and is viewed as a potentially attractive asset for major drugmakers, with a possible price tag of more than $3 billion.

"It's definitely for sale. They (Blackstone) have just started contacting parties," the source said.

Blackstone -- which owns a substantial minority stake in Stiefel -- and the company's family owners are seeking a speedy sale, the source added.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Stiefel was considering selling itself in a deal that could be worth several billions of dollars. [ID:nLK378280]

Officials at Stiefel and Blackstone could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters.

(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by John Stonestreet)