What company was formed by the 2004 merger of Sanofi-Synthélabo and Aventis?

The 2004 merger of Sanofi-Synthélabo and Aventis formed Sanofi-Aventis.

Sanofi-Synthélabo was created in 1999 through the merger of France’s Sanofi and Synthélabo. Aventis, meanwhile, had been formed in 1999 by the combination of Hoechst Marion Roussel and Rhône-Poulenc. The two companies therefore brought together several major French and German pharmaceutical businesses.

The Sanofi-Aventis name was used after the merger to reflect both original companies. In 2011, the company simplified its corporate name to Sanofi. Sanofi-Aventis remains a common historical name in accounts of the merger and in references to the company’s earlier corporate identity.

This merger is sometimes confused with Sanofi’s later acquisitions, including its purchase of Genzyme in 2011. It is also separate from the formation of AstraZeneca, which resulted from the 1999 merger of Astra AB and Zeneca Group.