After extensive medical and marketing research, Pill plc believes it can penetrate the pain reliever market. It is considering two alternative products.

The first is a medication for headache pain. The second is a pill for headache and arthritis pain. Both products would be introduced at a price of £4 per package in real terms. The headache-only medication is projected to sell 5 million packages a year, whereas the headache and arthritis remedy would sell 10 million packages a year. Cash costs of production in the first year are expected to be £1.50 per package in real terms for the headache-only brand. Production costs are expected to be £1.70 in real terms for the headache and arthritis pill. All prices and costs are expected to rise at the general inflation rate of 5 per cent.

Either product requires further investment. The headache-only pill could be produced using equipment costing £10.2 million. That equipment would last 3 years and have no resale value. The machinery required to produce the broader remedy would cost £12 million and last 3 years. The firm expects that equipment to have a £1 million resale value (in real terms) at the end of year 3.

Pill plc uses reducing balance (20 per cent) depreciation. The firm faces a corporate tax rate of 24 per cent and believes that the appropriate real discount rate is 13 per cent. Which pain reliever should the firm produce?