Companies Work to Develop Potential Treatments for Hearing Loss

June 2011

Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) announced today that it has entered into a two-year research collaboration with the biopharmaceutical company Audion Therapeutics (Audion) to develop potential treatments for hearing loss through the optimization of small molecules by using a regenerative medicine approach.

This collaborative research will utilize technology developed at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, one of the world's largest basic research facilities dedicated to the study of hearing and deafness, by investigator and Audion co-founder Dr. Albert Edge, who has strong expertise in stem cells and inner ear biology. Audion licensed Dr. Edge's technology from Mass Eye and Ear. Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi has an option to license technology rights from Audion related to research conducted under the collaboration.

"We are very excited about this collaboration with Sanofi that validates our thinking around developing small molecule regenerative drugs for the treatment of hearing loss," said RolfJan Rutten and Helmuth van Es, founders of Audion Therapeutics. "Sanofi's interest in the hearing loss field plus its vast experience and infrastructure in small-molecule drug discovery make them the perfect partner to move this program forward as diligently as possible."

"Our new relationship with Audion demonstrates our commitment to work with partners on conditions with unmet and growing medical needs, such as hearing loss," said Elias Zerhouni, M.D., President, Global Research & Development, Sanofi. "This collaboration is a multi-disciplinary approach with our internal Aging Therapeutic Strategic Unit and our Early-to-Candidate Unit working together to advance novel therapies in the field of otolaryngology using the most advanced technologies available to study cochlear biology."

About Sanofi R&D

As part of Sanofi's new R&D model, five Therapeutic Strategic Units (TSUs) were created with a focus on major patho-physiologies, pressing public health needs or major geographic areas: Aging, Fibrosis & Wound Repair, Immuno-Inflammation, Infectious Diseases and the Asia-Pacific Unit. The Aging Unit aims to treat age-related diseases globally, to provide practical integrated healthcare solutions for the elderly as well as to sustain their functional well-being. Sanofi's Early-to-Candidate Unit's core mission is to adopt higher risk, innovative and validated concepts and early-stage leads either from its own internal research or through strategic partnerships with academics and biotechnology companies.

About Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is the most prevalent inner ear disorder and the World Health Organization estimates that 500 million people worldwide have a mild to moderate to severe or greater hearing loss. Of people aged 65 to 74, nearly 33 percent have hearing loss and close to 50 percent of people over the age of 75 are affected. Of people over the age of 85, almost everyone is affected to some extent. Estimates are that the number of people in the world with age-related hearing loss is expected to increase to 900 million by 2050. However, the incidence is rising rapidly among younger people as well, due to frequent exposure to excessive noise. Estimates from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention place the total annual costs of hearing loss at approximately $50 billion per year in the U.S. alone. There are currently no prescription products for a disease modifying treatment for hearing loss.

About Audion Therapeutics

Audion Therapeutics is a private biopharmaceutical company based in Amsterdam that is dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs and delivery technologies for the treatment of diseases affecting the ear including hearing loss. Audion, which was founded by Albert Edge, Helmuth van Es and Rolf Jan Rutten, has technologies and molecules that originated from Albert Edge's research at the Mass Eye and Ear and then were exclusively licensed to Audion. For more information please visit www.audiontherapeutics.com.

About Mass Eye and Ear

The Mass Eye and Ear is a specialty hospital providing outstanding patient care for disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head and neck. Mass Eye and Ear is an international leader in hearing loss research and a teaching partner of Harvard Medical School. For more information please visit www.MassEyeAndEar.org.

About Sanofi