Sanofi-Aventis to file 31 NDAs by end-2010, with 10 likely blockbuster drugs

Paris, France-based Sanofi-Aventis gave an upbeat presentation on its R&D pipeline, outlining a total 48 projects in advanced - Phase IIb/III - clinical stages of development, with 31 potential New Drug Applications being filed by the end of 2010.

However, despite the firm's head of R&D, Marc Cluzel, noting that the pipeline includes "10 products that might be blockbusters," although not identifying which, the firm's shares dipped just over 1% to 60.79 euros on the morning of the press/analysts meeting, September 17.

The main reason was that, despite some very promising drugs, investors were disappointed to hear that Sanofi's obesity drug Acomplia (rimonabant) would see a delay of some four years before reaching the US market, where it is intended to sell the product under the Zimulti trade name (Marketletters passim). Acomplia is approved and on sale in several European markets, but the US Food and Drug Administration declined to clear it because of its likelihood to cause depression in people taking the drug, and the firm - the world's third-largest drugmaker by sales - withdrew its application.