Sanofi launches major new biologics initiative
French drug major Sanofi-Aventis has launched the BIOLAUNCH project at its drug production site in Vitry-sur-Seine, France. The initiative, which involves an investment of nearly 200.0 million euros ($266.9 million), will give rise to Sanofi's first cell culture biotechnology platform for the production of monoclonal antibodies, scheduled to start commercial operations in 2012.
The Paris-based firm, which is the world's third-largest R&D-based pharmaceutical company by sales, is turning to biologicals to bolster its flagging pipeline ahead of a wave of costly patent expirations. Faced with the same problem, most drug majors have been increasing their presence in these high-margin compounds over the last few years in a spate of deals that included Eli Lilly's $6.5-billion takeover of ImClone Systems and AstraZeneca's $15.6-billion purchase of MedImmune.
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