FACTBOX-Key facts about Sanofi, looking to buy Genzyme

PARIS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA) is
mulling its next move after U.S. biotech Genzyme GENZ.O, which
specialises in rare diseases, in late August rejected the French
drugmaker's $18.5 billion offer as being too low.
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Below are some key facts about Sanofi, the world's
fourth-largest drugmaker by sales according to IMS Health.

HISTORY

Sanofi-Aventis is the product of numerous mergers and
acquisitions. It became the world's third-largest drugmaker in
2004 when Sanofi-Synthelabo -- formed by merging subsidiaries of
Total (TOTF.PA) and L'Oreal (OREP.PA) in 1999 -- bought Aventis.

Sanofi turned a page when it named Chris Viehbacher as chief
executive at the end of 2008. He has been diversifying the group
into areas like animal health and consumer health to deal with
patent issues that will take out a third of sales between 2008
and 2013.

STRATEGY

Sanofi focuses on five growth platforms -- emerging markets,
vaccines, diabetes, consumer healthcare and innovative products.

Viehbacher has said Sanofi would hunt for deals of up to $20
billion and steer clear of mega-mergers.

Sanofi has done more than 50 deals since 2009, spending
about 9 billion euros on drug development deals and
acquisitions. Several acquisitions added 339 million euros to
2009 sales and 372 million in this year's first half while
expanded growth platforms are also helping to offset sales
losses from patent issues.

TOP PRODUCTS

Name Disease 2009 sales in euros

Lantus diabetes 3.080 bln

Lovenox blood thinner 3.043 bln

Plavix blood thinner 2.623 bln

Taxotere cancer 2.177 bln

Aprovel blood pressure 1.236 bln

Eloxatin cancer 957 mln

Multaq heart rhythm 25 mln*

Vaccines 3.483 bln

* Multaq has been flagged as a drug that could make at least
$1 billion a year. It won U.S. marketing approval in July 2009.

PATENT ISSUES

About a third of Sanofi's 27.6 billion euro ($35.06 billion)
sales in 2008 will be lost through to 2013 to patent issues.

- Eloxatin - Sanofi reached a settlement in the United
States with several generic drugmakers, like Sandoz (NOVN.VX)
and Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA.TA) TEVA.O, banning them from
selling their version from June 30 this year until Aug. 9 2012.

Generics of the colorectal cancer drug began arriving last
year in Europe and the United States.

- Lovenox - the bloodthinner's patents were no longer valid
but until the FDA's approval of Sandoz's generic in July, its
biological nature had shielded it from generics. Biotech drugs,
based on living cells, are harder to copy than chemical drugs.

- Plavix - the world's second biggest-selling drug already
faced a setback in 2006 when Apotex briefly flooded the U.S.
market with its copies but had to stop after a court order.

In Europe, Plavix generics have been available since the
second quarter of last year. The Plavix patent expires in May
2012 in the United States and in February 2013 in Europe.

- Taxotere, which treats five cancer forms including breast
cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, will lose its patent in
November this year in the United States and Europe.

- Blood pressure treatment Avapro will go off-patent in
February 2012 in the United States and in August 2012 in Europe.

- Sleeping pill Ambien CR lost its patent in March 2009.

RECENT APPROVALS

Prostate cancer treatment Jevtana was approved in June
through a U.S. health regulator priority review.

FDA PRIORITY STATUS

- Sanofi Pasteur's dengue vaccine, to begin late stage
trials end 2010, got U.S. priority review status in June.

- BSI-201 which seeks to treat triple negative breast
cancer, won fast-track status in December last year.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

In 2009, Sanofi spent 4.6 billion euros on R&D. Sixty
percent of the company's portfolio consists of biological
products and vaccines, and more than half of its compounds are
from external research, Sanofi said in its annual report.

Sanofi has overhauled its drug pipeline, ditching about a
quarter of its drugs and acquiring new ones. It has 52 drugs
under development, of which 16 are in final clinical tests or
have been submitted for marketing approval.

It suffered a pipeline setback last week when Temusi or
NV1FGF for limb ischemia failed in a late-stage trial. Sanofi
said it is evaluating all options for the drug candidate.

MAIN EVENTS THIS YEAR

- Sanofi oncology and diabetes seminar on Sept. 30 in Paris.

- Teriflunomide in multiple sclerosis -- Phase III data will
be presented at the ECTRIMS in Gothenburg, Sweden, in October.

- Oct. 28 quarterly earnings

FINANCIAL OUTLOOK

Even with patent issues hampering growth, Sanofi expects its
sales and business earnings per share in 2013 to be at least at
the same level as in 2008, excluding bolt-on acquisitions.

For this year, Sanofi expects business EPS to drop by as
much as 4 percent at constant exchange rates, taking into
account Lovenox generics, U.S. healthcare reforms and government
measures in Europe to contain public deficits.
(Editing by David Cowell)