A Good Co-pilot

A Good Co-Pilot Sanofi Pasteur and Ontario—On the Road Together to Innovation and Discovery Each day, when I drive from my home in Unionville, Ontario, to North Toronto, where I work at sanofi pasteur, I feel lucky to live in a region with so much to offer. Not only is Ontario a beautiful place, but it also offers incredible opportunities for those of us in the life-sciences business. The location has been a place for our company to thrive in its role as an innovator and manufacturer of vaccines to prevent and treat diseases at all stages of life. Sanofi Pasteur in Canada, part of the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, has a history of innovation spanning more than 95 years. Our site was the world’s first large-scale insulin manufacturing facility. In addition, we were instrumental in ending polio epidemics throughout North America in the 1950s, based on our contributions to large-scale production of the Salk polio vaccine. Today, Sanofi Pasteur’s 54-acre Toronto campus is one of nine production sites worldwide and is home to more than 1,100 employees. Building on our rich history of contributions to public health, we continue to innovate. In the 1990s, we introduced groundbreaking acellular pertussis pediatric combination vaccines such as Pentacel®, a vaccine that helps to protect children against five diseases—diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)—all in one injection, now used worldwide. Our site also leads the company’s North American biopharmaceutical development of vaccines. We are Canada’s largest producer of vaccines and have produced and distributed some 200 million doses of combination vaccines around the world since 1999. Our legacy of success has certainly been bolstered by our location in Ontario. As home to the largest base of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies in Canada, Ontario offers a host of advantages, including a well-developed infrastructure, a highly educated and skilled workforce, leading medical researchers and discovery centers for clinical research, university-affiliated teaching hospitals, and important regulations and tax credits. We are thrilled to have a strong and productive relationship with the Government of Ontario and its Ministry of Research and Innovation. Through its Biopharmaceutical Investment Program (BIP), the Ministry of Research and Innovation pledged up to $13.9 million in investments toward a $101 million research and development facility at our site. The Ministry’s generous contribution helped to cover costs of specialized infrastructure and equipment and will support high-value research and development jobs over the next several years. Our legacy of success has certainly been bolstered by our location in Ontario. Each year, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation also shows support for the growing life science/biopharmaceutical industry in Ontario by choosing a company to receive the Premier’s Catalyst Award for innovation. Sanofi Pasteur was proud to receive this award in 2009 for its development of Pentacel®. As a company, we also recognize that, by investing in Ontario, we are helping to strengthen the industry. Sanofi Pasteur and the sanofi-aventis Group have invested $315 million in R&D spending in Ontario over the past 3 years, including a $2 million gift toward the creation of a chair in immunology at the University of Toronto, now occupied by Tania Watts. A vibrant research community, strong public health infrastructure, and government support have made Ontario an ideal place for our company to grow. Sanofi Pasteur is proud to be a global leader in vaccines, and we look forward to a prosperous road ahead for our company and our Province. J. Mark Lievonen is president of Sanofi Pasteur in Canada. For more information visit: www.sanofipasteur.ca.

A Good Co-pilot

A Good Co-Pilot

Sanofi Pasteur and Ontario—On the Road Together to Innovation and Discovery

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J. Mark Lievonen

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December 2010

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