Sanofi to Buy Helvepharm

Drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis has agreed to buy generics maker Helvepharm from Swiss health care group Von Rose, boosting its position in copy-cat generics medicines. Helvepharm expects sales of CHF31 million ($29.03 million) in 2009 and has a Swiss market share of about 5.4 %, Von Rose said, without giving further financial details of the transaction. Sanofi's chief executive, Chris Viehbacher, has said he aims to focus on small and mid-sized deals in generics, emerging markets, vaccines, consumer health and biotechnology.