Sanofi Pasteur produces 170 million flu vaccine doses in 2006

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines unit of Sanofi-Aventis, has this week announced that it has produced over 170 million doses of influenza vaccine throughout 2006, making the company one of the largest in the world in the manufacturing of the vaccine.

The company reports that its capacity as increased by over 40 per cent since 2003, while it reports its dedication to producing as much of the vaccine as possible in the shortest amount of time in anticipation of the announcement of a pandemic.

Jean Francois Dehecq, chairman and chief executive officer of Sanofi-Aventis, said that this manufacturing was evidence of the company’s commitment to fighting influenza, a disease that affects millions worldwide.

“Sanofi Pasteur’s strong industrial capabilities, combined with a high-priority pandemic influenza vaccine research programme involving over 100 of our top scientists, is enabling us to provide a meaningful contribution to global pandemic preparedness.”

It added that a 160 million euros investment has been approved for a formulation and filling facility at the company’s Val de Reuil site to reduce the time-to-market for the influenza vaccine.

In November, Sanofi-Aventis reported that it had shipped 50 million doses of its Fluzone influenza vaccine to the US market.