UPDATE 2-GSK pulls out of $20 bln race for Pfizer consumer assets

* Comes after Reckitt dropped out of race

* Questions over whether auction will proceed

* GSK shares up on relief dividend appears safe(Adds Pfizer comment, context)

By Martinne Geller

LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline haswithdrawn from the race to buy Pfizer's consumerhealthcare business, the British company said on Friday,endangering an auction the U.S. drugmaker hoped would bring inas much as $20 billion.

It was not immediately clear whether there were other offersfor the business, which includes Advil painkillers and Centrumvitamins, following this week's deadline for binding bids.

GSK was seen as the frontrunner to buy the assets, afterReckitt Benckiser quit the race late on Wednesday.

"While we will continue to review opportunities that mayaccelerate our strategy, they must meet our criteria for returnsand not compromise our priorities for capital allocation," GSKChief Executive Emma Walmsley said in a statement.

GSK shares rose 3 percent, as investors' concerns about apotential dividend cut eased.

Sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday theremight still be interest in the Pfizer business, or the U.S. firmcould decide against a sale.

Pfizer said on Friday it continued to evaluate potentialalternatives for the business, which include a spin-off, sale orother transaction, as well as retaining it.

"We have not yet made a decision, but continue to expect tomake one in 2018," a spokesman said.

Pfizer is the world's fifth-largest player in consumerhealth with 2.5 percent of a market bolstered by agingpopulations and growing interest in health and wellness.

The business, which also includes Chapstick lip balm andCaltrate supplements, came to market at a bad time for both GSKand Reckitt.

Pfizer's hope of proceeds of around $20 billion, or about 20times the unit's core earnings according to Bernstein analysts,contrasted with both companies' need for financial discipline.

SPLIT OPINION

Buying the Pfizer business would have been the boldest moveto date for Walmsley, who took over at GSK last April. But thewisdom of a deal split opinion among investors, with someworried about the risk to the company's dividend.

Acquiring additional consumer health assets at a reasonableprice could have been a fairly safe way to boost earnings, sincescale is key in over-the-counter remedies, but it could havedistracted from fixing GSK's core pharma division.

That is a particular headache for Walmsley - a consumerproducts veteran who worked for 17 years at L'Oreal -since she has her work cut out to persuade the market she is theright person to lead Britain's top pharmaceuticals company.

Last month, in a bid to reassure investors, she spelt outmore clearly than before that her first priority was improvingperformance in prescription drugs, followed by dividend paymentsand only after that acquisitions.

The overhaul of the drugs business, which has produced fewerblockbuster medicines than rivals in recent years, is underwayin both the commercial and research fields.

GSK runs its consumer healthcare business via a jointventure with Novartis, which complicates anyacquisitions. Novartis has the right to sell down its 36.5percent stake, valued at around $10 billion, from this month,although it has previously indicated it is in no rush to do so.(Additional reporting by Paul Sandle and Ben Hirschler; Editingby David Goodman and Mark Potter)