With an expected capacity up to 50 million units, the new Lantus SoloSTAR investment will allow Sanofi-Aventis to better meet the growth demand of the Chinese market and improve the standard of care to combat diabetes in China, the company said.
The company also formed a new partnership with the Chinese Diabetes Society to initiate a diabetes genotyping project involving more than 46,000 diabetic and non-diabetic patients. This study will analyze in-depth genetic factors to better understand the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, which could allow for the early detection of individuals at risk for developing diabetes and define effective risk prevention strategies.
Lantus is indicated for once-daily subcutaneous administration in the treatment of adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who require basal (long-acting) insulin for the control of hyperglycemia and for adult and pediatric patients (six years of age and older) with type 1 diabetes mellitus. SoloSTAR, a new disposable pen for administration of Lantus and Apidra, offers a 33% greater maximum capacity than other disposable insulin pens, up to 80 units of insulin in one injection, the company said.
The Lantus investment follows a $94 million investment that Sanofi-Aventis made in 2007 to establish a high-tech manufacturing facility to produce Vaxigrip for the prevention of seasonal influenza and to contribute to pandemic readiness in China. Sanofi-Aventis’s Shenzhen flu vaccine facility will complete construction in 2009, and enter the phase of equipment qualification and process validation. Vaxigrip production is scheduled to start in 2012.
Christopher Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi-Aventis, said: “The new Lantus SoloSTAR investment signifies a new milestone of Sanofi-Aventis’s commitment to China. As the first multinational healthcare company to establish offices in China, we remain convinced of the strategic importance of the Chinese market.
“We are particularly dedicated to investing in areas that can help China address its public health needs. Lantus SoloSTAR is a result of five years of R&D at the highest level. The local production of Lantus SoloSTARr at the new manufacturing site is scheduled to start in 2012, and it will bring great benefits to the diabetes patients in China.”