Press Releases

The supplemental application is based on data from a Phase III international study, TAX 325, involving 457 patients with advanced gastric cancer.  Patients treated with a Taxotere®-based chemotherapy regimen (Taxotere®, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil) had a significantly improved overall survival compared to patients who received a standard treatment of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (9.2 months vs. 8.6 months median survival) with a relative risk reduction in mortality of 23 percent (log rank p=0.0201) and a 2-year survival of 18 percent versus 9 percent in favor of the Taxotere® arm.  In Europe, this supplemental application is already under examination by the EMEA on the basis of the TAX 325 study results.
 
A Priority Review designation is assigned by the FDA for those applications that have the potential for providing a significant therapeutic advance. 
 
"Doctors treating patients with gastric cancer urgently need new and more effective therapeutic strategies and better treatment options to help patients with this devastating disease," said Jaffer A. Ajani, MD, Professor, GI Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, principal investigator of the TAX 325 study.  "If approved, the incorporation of Taxotere® into a commonly used chemotherapy regimen may be the most important development in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer in more than a decade."
 
Taxotere® is currently approved in the United States to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior chemotherapy, and it is also approved in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC regimen) for the adjuvant (post surgery) treatment of patients with operable, node-positive breast cancer.  Taxotere®, in combination with cisplatin, is also approved for the treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had not received prior chemotherapy, and it also is approved, as a single agent, for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after failure of prior platinum-based chemotherapy.  In addition, Taxotere® is approved for use in combination with prednisone as a treatment for androgen-independent (hormone-refractory) metastatic prostate cancer.

Locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) has a poor prognosis with 2-year survival of only 11.5 percent. This study was undertaken to evaluate the benefits of adding Taxotere® to a standard chemotherapy regimen. The primary study endpoint was time to tumor progression (TTP), which was significantly improved with Taxotere® based therapy (5.6 months) compared to standard treatment (3.7 months) with a 32 percent reduction in the risk of progression (log rank p=0.0004). The main secondary endpoint was to detect a statistically significant increase in overall survival. Response rate, time to treatment failure, duration of response, safety profiles, QoL and disease related symptoms were collected and evaluated as secondary objectives as well.
 
The Taxotere® (docetaxel) combination resulted in an increased incidence of Grade 3-4 diarrhea (19 percent vs. 8 percent) and low white blood cell counts (82 percent vs. 57 percent) which was complicated by fever or infection in 29 vs. 12 percent of cases. Prophylactic use of GCSF was not recommended in this study. In total, 81.4 percent of the patients experienced at least one grade 3/4 side effect with the Taxotere® based regimen versus 75.4 percent in the control arm. And, there was a 57 percent reduction in Grade 3-4 neutropenia in patients who received G-CSF
 
"In this sick patient population, the tolerability of cytotoxic regimens is limited. However, Taxotere® combined with cisplatin plus 5FU (TCF) along with appropriate risk management shows promise in the treatment of advanced stomach cancer," said Professor Eric Van Cutsem from the University Hospital of Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium, principal investigator of the TAX325 trial.
 
These results were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in 2005.

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide; approximately 870,000 new cases of gastric cancer are diagnosed annually.  There will be about 21,860 new cases of gastric cancer in the United States in 2005.  At diagnosis, most patients with gastric cancer have advanced disease with an expected survival of only six to nine months.  Gastric cancer claims the lives of 650,000 people worldwide.

Taxotere® is currently approved in the United States to treat patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior chemotherapy, and it is also approved in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC regimen) for the adjuvant (post surgery) treatment of patients with operable, node-positive breast cancer.  
 
Taxotere® is approved for the treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with cisplatin, who had not received prior chemotherapy, and it also is approved for patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after failure of prior platinum-based chemotherapy.  In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Taxotere® for use in combination with prednisone as a treatment for men with androgen-independent (hormone-refractory) metastatic prostate cancer.

WARNING: TAXOTERE® treatment can cause serious, physically limiting, and potentially life-threatening side effects, such as infection, low blood-cell counts, allergic reaction, and retention of excess fluid (edema).
 
TAXOTERE® should not be given to patients with low white–blood-cell counts, abnormal liver function, or a history of allergic reactions to TAXOTERE® or any of the ingredients in TAXOTERE®. 
 
Before each TAXOTERE® treatment, all patients treated with TAXOTERE® must receive another medicine called dexamethasone.  This drug can help reduce the risk of fluid retention (edema) and allergic reactions.
 
TAXOTERE® should be administered only under the supervision of a qualified physician experienced in the use of anticancer treatments. Appropriate management of complications is possible only when adequate diagnostic and treatment facilities are readily available.
 
Treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has occurred in patients given anthracyclines and/or cyclophosphamide, including use with TAXOTERE® in adjuvant therapy for breast cancer.  
 
The most common severe side effects are low white–blood-cell count, anemia, fatigue, diarrhea, and mouth and throat irritation. Low white–blood-cell count can lead to life-threatening infections. The earliest sign of infection may be fever, so tell your doctor right away if you have a fever.
 
Other common side effects from TAXOTERE® include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, rash, infusion-site reactions, odd sensations (such as numbness, tingling, or burning) or weakness in the hands and feet, nail changes, muscle and/or bone pain, or excessive tearing.
 
Patients 65 years of age or older may experience some side effects more frequently than younger patients.
 
Because of the potential risk of fetal harm, pregnant women should not receive TAXOTERE®. Women of childbearing potential should avoid becoming pregnant during treatment with TAXOTERE®.
 

Before receiving TAXOTERE®, tell your doctor if

• You have any allergies
   
• You are taking any other medicines — including nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs, vitamins, and dietary or herbal supplements 

When taking TAXOTERE®, contact your doctor if

• You have symptoms of an allergic reaction (warm sensation, tightness in your chest, itching/hives, or shortness of breath)
   
• You experience any other side effects 

Please see adjacent page for patient information leaflet for detailed information about these side effects, and talk to your doctor about any questions you may have.
 
For more information about TAXOTERE®, visit www.taxotere.com or see accompanying full prescribing information including boxed WARNING.
For more information about ongoing clinical trials, please call 1-800-RxTrial or visit www.aventisoncology.com.

The sanofi-aventis Group is the world’s third largest pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in Europe. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, sanofi-aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic diseases, central nervous system, internal medicine, and vaccines. The sanofi-aventis Group is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
 
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts.  These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance.  Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expect," "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 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, 2004.  Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

Sanofi-aventis Group subsidiaries in the United States include Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc., Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi Pasteur Inc.

Susan Brooks
908-243-7564
susan.brooks@sanofi-aventis.com



USA.DOC.05.10.18