Stem cells - Policy

Within the scope of the Group's research, sanofi-aventis makes use of a wide range of human biospecimens: organs, tissues, cells, bio-fluids (blood, serum, urine, etc.), ribonucleic acid (RNA) and genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), in order to further develop its knowledge in a number of therapeutic areas, mainly in the cardiovascular and central nervous system areas.

Sanofi-aventis ensures the strict application of the general principles drafted in 2006 with regard to the ethical use of human biospecimens. The use of stem cells (human and murine) is limited to non-human embryonic stem cells. The use of human embryonic stem cells that possess totipotency (i.e. the ability to reconstitute all or most of the cell lineage that constitutes the human being and also have re-implantation capacity in the human uterus) is not permitted. Umbilical cord and blood stem cells, as well as adult somatic stem cells and progenitors thereof, can be used on condition that donor privacy is maintained and that informed consent or authorization has been obtained prior to use.
The use of human fetal tissue must only be in compliance with the appropriate national, state and local regulations.