SWIFTWATER, Pa., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN andNYSE: SNY), has been awarded a three-year contract for $56.94 million by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to maintain flocks to enable manufacturing pandemic influenza vaccine at full capacity on a year-round basis.

The contract supported by the HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) affords rapid response and production of a strain-matched pandemic influenza vaccine in the event of a declared pandemic. The contract covers the year-round availability of sufficient eggs and other essential supplies to support production of interpandemic or pandemic influenza vaccine at the company's full production capacity. The year-round supply also enables Sanofi Pasteur to collaborate with the U.S. government to develop vaccines against other potential pandemic virus strains as they are identified.

Sanofi Pasteur received its first year-round egg supply contract from HHS in 2004 and has been under contract since that time. This new contract provides for an additional three years of supply. During the Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic of 2009-2010, Sanofi Pasteur provided more than 50 percent of the pandemic vaccine supplied to the U.S. government. Additionally, the contract provided eggs for production of H5N1 vaccine for the national pre-pandemic vaccine stockpile from 2004-2008. The company produces both seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines for the U.S. at its facility in Swiftwater, Pa.

"As a global vaccine leader, Sanofi Pasteur remains committed to supporting international public health efforts to prepare for an influenza pandemic," said Wayne Pisano, president and chief executive officer of Sanofi Pasteur. "This three-year contract demonstrates that egg-based technology remains a cornerstone of pandemic planning and preparedness. We welcome opportunities to discuss similar flock preservation initiatives with government health authorities around the world."

This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. HHSO100201000064C.

About sanofi-aventis

Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone.  Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).  For more information, please visit: www.sanofi-aventis.com.

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, provided more than 1.6 billion doses of vaccine in 2009, 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-aventis' 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-aventis, 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 products candidates, the absence of guarantee that the products 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 as well as those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in sanofi-aventis' annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2009.  Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

SOURCE Sanofi Pasteur