Sanofi-Aventis makes 200m euro push into antibodies
pharmafile | May 7, 2009 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |Â Â Sanofi-Aventis, biologicalsÂ
Sanofi-Aventis will spend 200 million euros to convert one of its facilities near Paris into a biotechnology facility which is scheduled to start producing antibody-based drugs in 2012.
As part of the project, which has been christened BioLaunch, Sanofi-Aventis is also setting aside funds to collaborate with biotechnology companies and will provide access to the new biologics platform.
Stage one of BioLaunch will be an overhaul of Sanofi-Aventis' production facility in Vitry-sur-Seine near Paris to cell culture-based biomanufacturing, as well as the addition of R&D laboratories.
The move is the latest in a series of developments at the French drugmaker, which followed a strategic review of the business launched in February by new chief executive Chris Viehbacher.
The strategic shift towards a more diversified business model has already resulted in some trimming down of the company's product pipeline with the help of recently-appointed scientific advisor and former US National Institutes of Health (NIH) chief Elias Zerhouni. There has also be expansion of its generic drug portfolio in Eastern Europe and Latin America and the push into biologics extends that theme.
Viehbacher has identified pharmaceuticals, vaccines, generics and over-the-counter medicines as "platforms of growth" that he intends to grow both organically and – where opportunities present – by acquisition. But he has made no secret of Sanofi-Aventis' unfulfilled ambitions in bio, however, saying it should have made a concerted effort much earlier to build a presence in this sector.
While Sanofi-Aventis has an established heritage in biologic-type products with its vaccines, insulin and heparin lines, the new project represents its first concerted push into antibody-based therapeutics, and is designed to make the French company more attractive as a partner for other drug development players.
The BioLaunch project is "an opportunity … to do partnerships with biotechnology and research companies," Viehbacher said. Earlier, he said the objective is to raise the contribution of biologic drugs dramatically from their current level of 14% of revenues.
Last week Viehbacher said partnerships were critical as Sanofi-Aventis does not have enough new products in its pipeline "to really compensate for the products that we will lose when products like Plavix (clopidogrel) go off-patent in 2012".
Related stories:
Sanofi makes cuts to phase III pipeline
April 30, 2009
Dr Elias Zerhouni appointed to the new role of scientific advisor
February 24, 2009
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