As a result of its world-class research capabilities, sanofi-aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas in which there is a crucial need for innovative medicines to help millions of patients. 

These areas include:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Thrombosis 
• Oncology 
• Metabolic disorders 
• Central Nervous System 
• Internal medicine 
• and Vaccines                

Sanofi-aventis has five research sites in the U.S. that are involved at all stages of the drug development process. The largest research site in the U.S., with 1300 employees, is based in Bridgewater, NJ, located about 40 miles west of New York City and 65 miles north of Philadelphia. The Bridgewater site conducts discovery research in oncology, diseases of the central nervous system and in Internal Medicine, focusing on discovering new treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, asthma, Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis. The site also is involved in preclinical and clinical development activities for global projects across all therapeutic areas that actively support sanofi-aventis’ global registration efforts.

The Great Valley research facility is located in Malvern, PA, just 45 minutes west of Philadelphia. The Great Valley site is home to more than 700 scientists, physicians and support staff who are involved in a wide range of clinical, preclinical and regulatory affairs activities supporting global drug registration efforts.

In addition to the Great Valley and Bridgewater research sites, sanofi-aventis also has a genomics center located in Cambridge, MA, and a combinatorial technologies center located in Tucson, AZ. These sites play an integral role in the discovery activities of sanofi-aventis. 

Sanofi-aventis’ genomics center, which employs more than 70 scientists and support staff, is located in the heart of Cambridge, MA, within walking distance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University and less than 5 kilometers to the Whitehead and Broad Institutes, Dana Farber Cancer Center and Massachusetts General Hospital. Through the high throughput and high output application of the genomic sciences, the Cambridge facility has developed data intensive approaches to improve decision-making in drug discovery. 

The combinatorial technologies center in Tucson serves as an integrated lead discovery engine, delivering novel lead compounds for challenging targets and creating compound libraries that coordinate with therapeutic area needs and complement sanofi-aventis’ existing compound collection. More than 70 employees with expertise in such areas as chemistry, biology, information systems, and library development work at the combinatorial technologies center.

Sanofi pasteur, the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, also has a research site based in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania. Sanofi pasteur 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.