Sanofi Pasteur and Merck Vaccines Appoint Dr Jean-Paul Kress, as President of Sanofi Pasteur MSD

LYON, France, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Newcomer's Biopharmaceutical Experience to Further Develop European Joint-Venture -

MSD, known as Merck in the United States and Canada (NYSE: MRK), and Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), the two partner companies in Sanofi Pasteur MSD, announce today the appointment of Dr. Jean-Paul Kress as President of Sanofi Pasteur MSD, subject to the approval of the Board members.

"Sanofi Pasteur MSD is a major contributor to the European vaccine market. Jean-Paul Kress' appointment at the helm of the company recognizes a new ambition for our joint-venture in Europe, a challenging and strategic region for our vaccines activity",said Olivier Charmeil, President and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur. "His leadership experience and dynamism will be strong assets to grow Sanofi Pasteur MSD's market share and operating performance in Europe."

"Having a strong leader with the breadth of experience Dr. Kress brings to the table is key to the success of the Sanofi Pasteur MSD joint-venture and supports our mission to do everything we can to bring vaccines to all who need them," said Julie L. Gerberding, M.D., President Merck Vaccines.  "Growing our vaccine business in Europe remains a critical focus for Merck and we look forward to working with Jean-Paul to help achieve this important goal."

Combining innovation from two major global leaders, Sanofi Pasteur MSD offers the broadest range of vaccines. Amongst others, the company is the European leader for flu vaccines, and has brought recent breakthroughs to Europe including the first vaccine to help prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) diseases, including cervical cancer. Totally dedicated to vaccines and Europe, Sanofi Pasteur MSD provides extensive expertise to its customers, including health care professionals and health authorities.

Dr. Jean-Paul Kress'biography

A French citizen, Jean-Paul Kress holds a MD Degree from Faculté Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, and a Post-Graduate Degree from Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris. He is a board member of LEEM, the French Pharma Industry Association. Prior to his appointment, Jean-Paul Kress was Vice President and General Manager for Gilead France, a company he joined in 2006 as Vice President, US sales and Marketing, Antiviral Business Unit. Former positions include 9 years at Abbott in various sales, marketing and General Management positions in the EU and in the USA as well as positions at Smithkline Beecham and Eli Lilly, the company where he started his career in the pharmaceutical industry in 1993.

About MSD

Today's MSD is a global healthcare leader working to help the world be well.  MSD is a tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., with headquarters in Whitehouse Station, N.J., U.S.A. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer care and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit http://www.msd.com

About Sanofi Pasteur MSD

Sanofi Pasteur MSD is a joint venture between sanofi pasteur, the vaccine division of Sanofi, and Merck (known as MSD outside the US and Canada). Combining innovation and expertise, Sanofi Pasteur MSD is totally dedicated to vaccines and Europe. Sanofi Pasteur MSD is able to draw on the research expertise of sanofi pasteur and Merck, together with their teams throughout the world, to focus on the development of new vaccines for Europe, which aim to extend protection to other diseases and perfect existing vaccines in order to improve the adoption, efficacy and tolerability of vaccination.

About Sanofi

Sanofi, a global and diversified 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, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health. 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: http://www.sanofipasteur.com or http://www.sanofipasteur.us.

Merck Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the merger between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts.  Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.  Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the possibility that the expected synergies from the merger of Merck and Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care  legislation; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; Merck's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the United States and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).

Sanofi 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 labeling 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, 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, 2010. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.