Sanofi pasteur to License Micro-Delivery Technology From BD Medical
Lyon, France (ots/PRNewswire)
Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), has entered into an agreement with BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX) to license the Micro-Delivery technology of BD Medical-Pharmaceutical Systems for use in the administration of sanofi pasteur's human vaccine products.
Sanofi pasteur's vaccines have traditionally been given via intramuscular injection. This BD technology provides a new method of delivering vaccines into the skin. The results of early-phase clinical research have shown that utilization of this new technology has the potential to improve the immunogenicity and efficacy of the delivered vaccine.
The BD Micro-Delivery System is designed to be pre-filled with vaccine and to easily and reliably deliver the vaccine to the target area. The tiny micro-needle used in the Micro-Delivery System is as thin as a human hair.
Under the terms of the agreement, BD will provide sanofi pasteur with a license to the BD Micro-Delivery System in the field of human vaccines. The parties will continue to work together to further demonstrate the Micro-Delivery System's applicability to delivering a wide variety of vaccines, including the influenza vaccine that is now being evaluated in human clinical trials conducted in conjunction with the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Per the agreement, BD will be compensated for use of the Micro-Delivery System by sanofi pasteur, who will develop, manufacture and commercialize the Micro-Delivery vaccine based products developed in this collaboration. Further financial details of the agreement are not disclosed.
This collaboration is part of sanofi pasteur's ongoing corporate commitment to protect and improve human health worldwide by providing superior, innovative vaccines for the prevention and treatment of disease.
BD is a medical technology company that serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public. BD manufactures and sells a broad range of medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic products. To learn more about BD, please visit www.bd.com.
About sanofi-aventis
The sanofi-aventis Group is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in Europe. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, sanofi-aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular disease, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic diseases, central nervous system, internal medicine, and vaccines. The sanofi-aventis Group is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, sold nearly a billion doses of vaccine in 2004, making it possible to protect more than 500 million people across the globe, which is about 1.4 million per day. The company offers the broadest range of vaccines, providing protection against 20 bacterial and viral diseases. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expect," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "plans" and similar expressions. Although sanofi-aventis' management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in sanofi-aventis' annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2004. Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
Sanofi-aventis Group subsidiaries in the United States include Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc., Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi Pasteur Inc.
sanofi pasteur sanofi pasteur
Alain BERNAL Len LAVENDA
Vice-President Corporate Communications U.S. Media Relations
Tel: +33-(0)4-37-37-78-97 Tel: +1-570-839-4446
Fax: +33-(0)4-37-37-72-76 Len.Lavenda@sanofipasteur.comContact:
sanofi pasteur: Alain BERNAL, Vice-President Corporate
Communications, Tel: +33-(0)4-37-37-78-97, Fax: +33-(0)4-37-37-72-76
or sanofi pasteur: Len LAVENDA, U.S. Media Relations, Tel:
+1-570-839-4446, Len.Lavenda@sanofipasteur.com