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Sandoz, a Novartis company, with global headquarters in Vienna, Austria, is a world leader in generic pharmaceuticals and develops, manufactures and markets these medicines as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnological active ingredients. Decades of experience make Sandoz a renowned partner in pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals and anti-infectives. Sandoz reported sales in 2004 were $3 billion and employed approximately 13,400 people in more than 110 countries. Sandoz is a leading global supplier of high-quality generic pharmaceuticals. A generic pharmaceutical product is the bioequivalent of a brand name pharmaceutical. This includes dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use. Generic pharmaceuticals are held to the same rigid standards as the innovator product, as dictated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies throughout the world. Although generic pharmaceuticals are chemically identical to their branded counterparts, they traditionally cost consumers less than the brand product.

Sanofi-aventis is a division of its namesake European parent company, which is one of the world s largest pharmaceutical companies. Backed by a world-class research and development organization, the company develops leading positions in nearly 10 major therapeutic areas that include cardiovascular disease, thrombosis, oncology, diabetes, central nervous system, internal medicine and vaccines. The Sanofi-aventis group employs approximately 14,000 employees in the United States located at nearly 15 geographical sites throughout the country. Of these, approximately 8,000 are field sales and medical affairs representatives, making the company s sales force one of the largest in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Some of its products include Actonel, Allegra, Ambien, Eloxatin, Nasacort, Plavix, Taxotere and Uroxatral. Sanofi-aventis maintains a location in Bridgewater, N.J.