Content about Aventis

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Canadian drug maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has signed an agreement with Sanofi’s subsidiary in Canada to distribute a topical medication for osteoarthritis in the country.

Valeant said Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with Sanofi-Aventis Canada for Canadian marketing and distribution rights to Zuacta (zucapsaicin), designed for treating osteoarthritis of the knee.

PARIS — French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis has shortened its name to Sanofi, the company said.

The company, which acquired Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech giant Genzyme for $20.1 billion earlier this year, had planned to vote at its shareholder meeting Friday.

According to published reports, the previous name was difficult to pronounce for people in many countries.

PARIS — An investigational drug helped patients survive longer when combined with chemotherapy as a second-line treatment for colorectal cancer that had spread to other parts of the body, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial announced by French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis and U.S.-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

The phase-3 trial combined the drug Zaltrap (aflibercept) with a combination of the chemotherapy drugs folinic acid (leucovorin), 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan, also known as the FOLFIRI regimen.

Customers are seeing purple again — reminiscent of another switch that took advantage of the eye-catching color purple. Sanofi-Aventis through its Chattem division in March launched Allegra, the last of the second-generation antihistamines. And purple-powered displays, like this in a Walmart in Lancaster, Pa., dotted the retail pharmacy landscape.


PARIS — Genzyme now officially is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sanofi-Aventis.

The Paris-based drug maker said that the closing followed the completion of the exchange offer for drug maker Genzyme last week. As its subsidiary, Genzyme will become a new platform in Sanofi's sustainable growth strategy and expand the company's presence in biotechnology, Sanofi said. Genzyme will continue to operate out of its Cambridge, Mass., headquarters, and will be led by Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher for several months.

NEW YORK — French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis may get a name change soon, according to a published report.

Bloomberg reported that the drug maker had scheduled a vote at its May 6 stockholders meeting to shorten the name to “Sanofi.” The article paraphrased a spokesman as saying that the current name is difficult for people in some countries to pronounce.

The Sanofi-Aventis name came into being following the 2004 acquisition of Aventis by Sanofi-Synthelabo.

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — While failing to improve overall survival, an investigational treatment for non-small cell lung cancer made by Sanofi-Aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals did keep the disease from worsening and, overall, caused patients to respond to treatment, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial.

Sanofi and Regeneron announced Thursday results of the phase-3 “VITAL” trial of aflibercept. Patients were administered either the drug or placebo in addition to docetaxel chemotherapy.

A whole slew of drugs will lose patent protection this year, opening up opportunities for generic drug makers to market their own versions. Most notable among these is Pfizer’s cholesterol-
lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin), the world’s top-selling drug, with U.S. sales of $7 billion during the 12 months ended September 2010, according to IMS Health.


CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis will acquire U.S. biotech giant Genzyme for $20.1 billion, under an agreement the two companies announced Wednesday.

HYDERABAD, India — A federal court has lifted an injunction that had prevented drug maker Dr. Reddy’s Labs from marketing a generic version of an allergy drug.

Dr. Reddy’s said the U.S. District Court of New Jersey had filed a stipulation and order lifting the earlier injunction against the drug maker regarding the selling of a version of fexofenadine hydrochloride and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride tablets in the 180-mg/240-mg strength. The drug is a generic version of Sanofi-Aventis’ and Albany Molecular Research’s Allegra-D 24.

PARIS — Sanofi-Aventis and its U.S. consumer healthcare division Chattem on Tuesday afternoon announced the Food and Drug Administration has approved the Allegra (fexofenadine HCl) family of allergy medication products for over-the-counter use in adults and children 2 years of age and older.

Products will be on store shelves in March, the companies announced.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration and drug maker Sanofi-Aventis are warning healthcare professionals and patients about the possibility of severe liver injury in patients taking a Sanofi heart drug.