Sanofi-Aventis plans to expand in Japan

French drug major Sanofi-Aventis will rapidly expand its operations in Japan and, according to its president, Jean-Francois Dehecq, the world's second-largest market is its priority "for the next few years."

At a press conference in Tokyo, the Paris-heaquartered group said it wants to double its strength on the Japanese market in three to four years where, at present, it achieves only 3.8% of total sales or about $1.0 billion.

Foreign drugmakers have traditionally had probems selling in Japan but, because of the success of major products, at least three or four multinational groups are now well-placed in the market and control 37% of domestic drug sales compared with 27% five years ago. The Paris-headquartered drugmaker said that it will expand through new products, starting with Plavix (clopidogrel). Analysts have forecast that sales of the antiplatelet drug in Japan could reach $931.6 million in the first five years of its introduction.