Le Fur to become CEO at Sanofi

Gerard Le Fur, current deputy director general and head of R&D of the French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis, is to take over as chief executive from January 1, 2007, in succession to Jean-Francois Dehecq, now chairman and CEO. Mr Dehecq's own contract as president of the supervisory board has been extended until the end of 2010, when he will reach the age of 70.

Mr Dehecq said that he was proposing to the board to separate the functions of president and CEO and would also nominate Mr Le Fur as his successor before the end of this year. He added that his successor, who is aged 55, has been in the company for 20 years and he had worked with him on a daily basis for several years and knew he had all the qualities to direct the group, now the third largest drugmaker worldwide.

Rene Barbier de la Serre, chairman of the company's remunerations and nominations committee within the board, said the choice of successor had been discussed for some time and had the virtue of allowing a smooth transition. Some drug industry analysts are saying that this extension of the mandate of the current president of Sanofi-Aventis is motivated by the strategy to expand in the USA which is expected to move into a new phase at the end of this year or early in 2007.