Annual Report 2003 Aventis - Sanofi
Annual Report 2003 Aventis - Sanofi
Annual Report 2003 Aventis - Sanofi
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Sales and Marketing<br />
Turning Challenges Into Opportunities<br />
An innovative product originating in <strong>Aventis</strong> laboratories,<br />
Ketek is the fi rst of a new class of antibiotics<br />
called ketolides and a revolutionary new treatment<br />
for respiratory tract infections caused by<br />
pathogens that are becoming increasingly resistant<br />
to older antibiotics. On the market since 2001, Ketek<br />
has been a classic example of overcoming the hurdles<br />
of introducing a global product locally.<br />
The Ketek story started back in 1987 when it was<br />
developed by researchers in France. Clinical trials<br />
were conducted in the late 1990s and EU approval<br />
Coated Ketek tablets, produced at <strong>Aventis</strong><br />
in Kansas City, U.S.<br />
was granted in 2001. Germany was the fi rst country<br />
to launch in 2001, followed by Italy, Spain, France<br />
and Latin America in 2002. In <strong>2003</strong>, further important<br />
Ketek approvals were granted in Turkey, Canada<br />
and Japan. To date, Ketek has been used to treat<br />
over 5 million people in nearly 40 countries. The<br />
product’s performance in France, Mexico, Belgium,<br />
Greece, Turkey and Finland has earned it the status<br />
of being the most successful new antibiotic launch<br />
in these countries, an achievement that would not<br />
have been possible without the concerted efforts of<br />
the team behind Ketek.<br />
Thinking globally while acting locally<br />
Preparing to launch Ketek in France, Europe’s largest<br />
antibiotic market, the Ketek team saw challenges<br />
mounting. New government regulations were en-<br />
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