National award to honour ‘life-saving’ work of sanofi-aventis’s Dagenham site

Sanofi-aventis’s manufacturing site in Dagenham has received a prestigious Chemical Landmark award in recognition of cutting-edge pharmaceutical research and development over 76 years which has saved thousands of lives around the world.

The accolade, from the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), places the 108-acre premises on Rainham Road South among a select group of national locations to be recognised for their outstanding chemical breakthroughs. The sanofi-aventis site, formerly May & Baker, opened in 1934 and has been at the forefront of medical drugs research and manufacture. Its oncology products help thousands of sufferers from diseases including breast, lung and prostate cancers.

During the 1930s one of the most high-profile scientific breakthroughs at Dagenham saw the development of a product named ‘M&B 693’ which was hailed as a ‘wonder drug’ for the treatment of the killer disease bacterial pneumonia. The drug was credited with twice saving the life of Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill and was also used to treat gangrene which helped save lives of thousands of servicemen during World War Two.

Professor David Phillips, President-elect of the Royal Society of Chemistry, told a gathering of over 450 people including hundreds of sanofi-aventis current and former members of staff that only a handful of Chemical Landmark awards are presented each year to “recognise important historical sites in the UK where a significant discovery or research has taken place”.

The prized, blue-coloured, Chemical Landmark plaque was unveiled by the Mayor of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Councillor Nirmal Singh Gill at a ceremony on Friday, July 2.

The citation read: “In recognition of the pioneering research and manufacturing work carried out at the May & Baker (sanofi-aventis) Dagenham site in a wide range of chemical and pharmaceutical fields since 1934. These products continue to benefit patients and their quality of life around the world.”

Jim Moretta, sanofi-aventis Dagenham Site Leader, told the audience that the award recognised the sterling work of employees past and present. He said they should all feel immensely proud of the contribution they had made to produce life-saving drugs which are used around the world.
Mr Moretta said sanofi-aventis was “still doing great things on this site” and revealed that only this week a new product, developed at Dagenham, as a final line of treatment for prostate cancer sufferers, had been launched in the United States.

Although sanofi-aventis has announced that the Dagenham manufacturing plant will be closing in 2013 for commercial reasons, Mr Moretta said in the next two years further live-saving cancer drugs produced at the site are due to be launched.

Mark Bass, sanofi-aventis Land Development and Partnership Leader, said although manufacturing was ceasing at the site, which has three times received the Queens Award for Industry, sanofi-aventis wishes to leave a legacy when it finally vacates the location through a regeneration process to create jobs and facilities for the local community.

Mr Bass said a team including regeneration experts had been formed which is working closely with the local authority, London Development Agency and other organisations to develop a business park at the site.

He said: “We very much hope before we leave here we will have created as many jobs as will have been lost.”

The Royal Society of Chemistry is Europe’s largest organisation for advancing the chemical sciences with the Chemical Landmark award initiative aimed at stimulating public interest in historic developments in the chemical sciences.”

About sanofi-aventis

Sanofi-aventis, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, has been associated with Dagenham for 75 years through its manufacturing centre where life-saving medicines, including oncology drugs for treatment of various cancers, are distributed to over 80 countries worldwide. Sanofi-aventis’ global headquarters are in Paris with UK headquarters in Guildford, Surrey.

05 July 2010