MONTREAL, Oct. 8 /CNW Telbec/ - Sanofi-aventis Canada welcomes the Quebec Biopharmaceutical Strategy and sees a strong link with its new corporate strategy.

"One of the goals of sanofi-aventis is to communicate the strong value of our medicines, so they are not just seen as costs to bear, but as investments that will have a direct impact on patients' lives and deliver savings over time to the healthcare system as a whole," said Hugh O'Neill, President and CEO of sanofi-aventis Canada. "The openness of the Quebec government to dialogue with all players involved in developing innovative medicines is extremely welcome and should allow Quebecers to reap maximum benefit from new drug discoveries."

Sanofi-aventis also fully supports the government's intention to encourage networking among all players in the scientific community. "Biotech plays a fundamental role in the development of innovative medicines. Our strategy is to partner with biotech firms and provide them access to our resources, while giving them the freedom to pursue their research," said O'Neill. "At the beginning of 2009, 70 per cent of biotech firms claimed they did not have enough capital to survive one year. Sanofi-aventis is determined to work with these companies so they can continue to do what they do best: innovate and deliver medicines that have never been seen before."

Sanofi-aventis stands strongly behind any initiative that aims to keep communication channels open between all players in the healthcare industry. "There are many opportunities to deliver value to the healthcare system, such as identifying the appropriate and inappropriate patients for specific medications. By working together, we can seize these opportunities and develop partnerships at all levels that will ensure Quebecers get the most out of their healthcare industry," concluded O'Neill.

About sanofi-aventis

Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, the company is developing leading positions in several therapeutic areas: cardiology, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic disorders, the central nervous system, internal medicine and vaccines.

Sanofi-aventis is represented in Canada by the pharmaceutical company sanofi-aventis Canada Inc., based in Laval, Quebec, and by the vaccines company Sanofi Pasteur Limited, based in Toronto, Ontario. Together they employ more than 2,000 people across the country. With combined R&D investments of $211.5 million in 2008, they are the leaders in Canada's innovative pharmaceutical/biotech sector, a critical knowledge-based industry that generates jobs, business and opportunity throughout the country.