Leading Experts in Parenting, Education and Medicine Partner to Launch Head Lice Awareness Initiative

SWIFTWATER, Pa., June 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN andNYSE: SNY), announced today the launch of Headfirst! Expert Advice on Lice, an educational program to help expand understanding of head lice infestation and how to approach treatment. Parents facing head lice for the first time or managing a recurrent or persistent infestation may not know where to turn for accurate advice. Top experts in the fields of parenting, education and medicine came together to inform the campaign content and ensure parents have access to straightforward guidance on effective head lice management. The core of the Headfirst! program is its user-friendly website, ExpertAdviceOnLice.com, which was developed as a go-to site to arm moms, families and their communities with easy-to-understand tools and resources on head lice, including a printable e-book, educational videos and much more.

Head lice are tan to grayish-white insects, about the size of a sesame seed, spread through head-to-head contact. An estimated six to 12 million infestations occur each year in the United States. Head lice can affect almost anyone,^1,2,3 but most commonly occur among children ages three to 11.¹ Headfirst! Expert Advice on Lice aims to raise awareness of head lice as a common yet hard-to-treat problem that can benefit from expert advice and encourages moms to seek care from a healthcare professional.

"There are common myths and misconceptions about head lice that may impact how parents react to an infestation and manage the condition," said Headfirst! Expert Panelist and pediatric dermatologist, Nanette B. Silverberg, MD, FAAD, FAAP. "The Headfirst! Expert Panel was assembled to help empower parents dealing with lice and offer expert advice to help them manage and successfully treat it with confidence."

The group of skilled professionals that make up the Headfirst! Expert Panel include: Nancy Gottesman, health & nutrition journalist; Darline P. Robles, PhD, professor of clinical education; Nanette B. Silverberg, MD, FAAD, FAAP, pediatric dermatologist and Wendy L. Wright, MS, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP, family nurse practitioner.

"At any point, one to three percent of children in elementary school may have head lice. During an outbreak, the percentage of children with head lice may be as high as 25 percent,"⁴ said Headfirst! Expert Panelist and professor of clinical education, Darline P. Robles, PhD. "Whether you are trying to combat head lice or simply like to be prepared, it's important to have easy-to-access and accurate information. Headfirst! provides information that moms and families can trust."

ExpertAdviceOnLice.com offers head lice basics, including symptoms, diagnosis, prevention and treatment options, as well as tips and checklists designed to help save time and reduce stress when it's time to battle head lice. Throughout the year, the Headfirst! Expert Panel will continue to educate families and their communities about head lice. For more information on the Headfirst! campaign, visit ExpertAdviceOnLice.com.

Sanofi Pasteur, an established leader in pediatric healthcare, is committed to protecting and improving childhood and family health. Educational efforts, like Headfirst! Expert Advice on Lice, are designed to build awareness around key issues, including vaccination and head lice, to support our mission of enhanced prevention and treatment of diseases and conditions worldwide. 

About Head Lice 
Head lice are wingless parasites that feed on human blood and live close to the human scalp. They move by crawling and are mainly spread by head-to-head contact, most commonly among preschool children attending child care, elementary school children and the household members of infested children. Infrequently, transmission may occur by contact with items recently used by an infested person, such as clothing, brushes, towels or pillows.¹ Itching, the most common symptom, may take four to six weeks to develop the first time a person has head lice, and many may not experience any symptoms at all.⁵ In the United States, girls are somewhat more likely than boys to become infested, perhaps due to the sharing of brushes and combs.^6,7

About Sanofi 
Sanofi, an integrated global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and the new Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, provides more than 1 billion doses of vaccine each year, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com or www.sanofipasteur.us.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, the Group's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, the impact of cost containment policies and subsequent changes thereto, the average number of shares outstanding as well as those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

www.sanofipasteur.com

References 
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Parasites: Lice: Head Lice: Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/gen_info/faqs.html. Accessed October 12, 2012. 
2. Meinking T, Taplin D, Vicaria M. Infestations. In: Schachner LA, Hansen RC, eds. Pediatric Dermatology, 4th ed. Mosby Elsevier; 2011:1535-1583. 
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Head lice: epidemiology and risk factors. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/epi.html. Accessed October 12, 2012. 
4. Roberts RJ. Head lice. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(21):1645-1650. 
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Parasites: Lice: Head Lice: Disease. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/disease.html. Accessed January 27, 2012. 
6. Mumcuoglu KY, Hemingway J, Miller J, et al. Permethrin resistance in the head louse Pediculus  capitis from Israel. Med Vet Entomol. 1995:9,427-432.
7. Sim S, Lee IY, Lee KJ, et al. A survey on head lice infestation in Korea (2001) and the therapeutic efficacy of oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole adding to lindane shampoo. Korean J Parasitol. 2003;41 :57– 61.

SOURCE Sanofi Pasteur