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Paris, France - December 9, 2009
Sanofi-aventis establishes strategic research alliance with California Institute of Technology
Research Alliance to support bioengineering for the development of therapeutic and diagnostic solutions in human health.
Sanofi-aventis (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced today the signature of a strategic research alliance agreement with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, CA, USA.
The goal of the research collaboration, which will be known as the “sanofi-aventis Bioengineering Research Program at the California Institute of Technology” (SABER), is to advance knowledge in the area of human health through basic and applied biology research and to promote scientific exchange between Caltech and sanofi-aventis. The terms of the agreement are undisclosed.
“This strategic research alliance should significantly complement our research technologies and is a renewed example to partnership with best sciences,” said Marc Cluzel, Executive Vice-President, R&D, sanofi-aventis.
The research program will provide financial support for several core facilities for up to 5 years, including the Kavli Nanosciences Institute, the Molecular Observatory and the Biological Imaging Center, all located at Caltech. It will also provide flexible financial support to individual Caltech scientists, via bioengineering annual awards (BEA’s), to accelerate innovative research projects.
“We are pleased to share our expertise and commitment to research with sanofi-aventis. We believe this collaboration will lead to discoveries that one day may improve human health,” stated Stephen Mayo, Caltech Vice Provost and Bren Professor of Biology and Chemistry.
About the California Institute of Technology
Caltech is recognized for its highly select student body of 900 undergraduates and 1,200 graduate students, and for its outstanding faculty. Since 1923, Caltech faculty and alumni have garnered 32 Nobel Prizes and five Crafoord Prizes.
In addition to its prestigious on-campus research programs, Caltech operates the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the W. M. Keck Observatory in Mauna Kea, the Palomar Observatory, and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). Caltech is a private university in Pasadena, California. For more information, visit http://www.caltech.edu.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY). For more information, visit: www.sanofi-aventis.com
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include product development, product potential projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future events, operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans” and similar expressions. Although sanofi-aventis’ management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMEA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such products candidates, the absence of guarantee that the products candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives as well as those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in sanofi-aventis’ annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2008. Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
