Sanofi-aventis Plans Biopharmaceutical Investment

Sanofi-aventis introduced this week its Biolaunch project at its Vitry-sur-Seine, France, pharmaceutical production site. The nearly EUR 200-million ($266 million) investment will be used to provide the company with its first cell-culture platform to produce monoclonal antibodies.

Sanofi-aventis plans to have the project completed by 2012 and to transfer current chemical activities at the Vitry-sur-Seine site by 2011. The Biolaunch project is part of a long-term approach by the company to invest in biotechnology. It is part of plan to convert the Vitry-sur-Seine site into a biotechnology facility that includes research, development, and production activities.

Investment in China
In other news, sanofi-aventis also announced that it will relocate its current manufacturing facility in downtown Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and build a new site in the Binjiang New Development Zone in Hangzhou. The company is investing approximately EUR 31 million ($41 million).

The new 44,775-m² site is scheduled to be completed by 2012 and have an expanded capacity of 160 million packs. The current plant produces and packs the company’s major cardiovascular and anticancer products, including Plavix, Aprovel/Co-Aprovel, Taxotere, and Eloxatin.