Sanofi-aventis Expands Syringe Production Capacity At Le Trait Manufacturing Plant

Sanofi-aventis has launched its new production units at the Le Trait site in a ceremony attended by Jean-Marie Aline, Mayor of Le Trait, Christophe Bouillon, Member of the French National Assembly for Seine-Maritime, Christopher Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi-aventis, and Philippe Luscan, senior vice-president for industrial affairs, Sanofi-aventis.

The Le Trait manufacturing site specialises in producing high-tech sterile injectable products, primarily for export.

The production lines will include new filling, inspection and packaging systems (part of the @live project – Lovenox Injectable Vaccines Extension) enabling the manufacturing plant to double its production of prefilled syringes to meet market demand for Lovenox.

The investment also means that the site will further diversify its vaccine production, in partnership with Sanofi Pasteur. The site already manufactures the seasonal flu vaccine Vaxigrip, and from December 2009, will also handle packaging of an infant meningitis vaccine for the Japanese market, and production of the new intradermal flu vaccine Intanza starting in early 2010.

Additionally, the new filling lines will further optimise the quality of the medicines manufactured on the site, through electron beam (or e-beam) sterilisation technology.

Christopher Viehbacher, chief executive officer of Sanofi-aventis, said: “Le Trait is one of many examples of Sanofi-aventis’ desire to invest in France in order to be able to meet worldwide public health challenges. A cutting-edge technological platform, the Le Trait site produces one million syringes a day and exports close to 90% of its production, 25% of which for the North American market.”