On Tuesday, October 9, Corporate Members of the French-American Chamber of Commerce assembled for a special luncheon featuring Mr. Timothy Rothwell, Chairman, sanofi-aventis U.S.

Mr. Rothwell engaged the audience in a lively and informative discussion regarding the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. Mr. Rothwell was welcomed by FACC President, Serge Bellanger.

Mr. Rothwell addressed the current regulatory environment in which sanofi-aventis and many other global pharmaceutical companies operate, namely the critical protection of intellectual property, trade secrets, and proprietary and confidential information. He stated that innovative companies such as sanofi-aventis are faced by a multitude of challenges including intellectual property and patent protection, drug counterfeiting and price control issues. In addition, he also discussed political and economic effects on the market as well as the impact of generic pharmaceutical goods.

The guests participated in a discussion following Mr. Rothwell's presentation covering a variety of topics including the future of the pharmaceutical industry and the integration of biotechnology into the pharmaceutical sector.

Guests enjoyed a champagne cocktail sponsored by Champagne Paul Goerg and cuisine from FACC Member Aquavit in the private dining room.