Omron Healthcare develops solar-powered digital BP monitors

Kyoto - OMRON HEALTHCARE Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Omron Corporation and a leading manufacturer of medical, home healthcare, and wellness products, has developed the HEM-SOLAR Series, solar-powered digital blood pressure monitors, for release worldwide in spring 2009.

"HEM-SOLAR monitors will allow health practitioners and individuals to take blood pressure readings wherever sunlight is available," says Keiichiro Akahoshi, representative director and CEO of Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd. "The development of this series further illustrates Omron's commitment to environmental stewardship."

Omron Healthcare has developed two blood pressure monitors for the series, a manual upper-arm and automatic upper-arm model. Both are charged by exposure to sunlight through the solar panel at the back of the product. After just four hours of direct exposure to sunlight, the manual model can take more than 100 readings while the automatic model can take 28 readings. When fully charged (requires approximately 15 hours with the manual model and 24 hours with the automatic model), the manual model can take measurements more than 280 times and the automatic model more than 100 times. Wherever sunlight is available, the monitors facilitate easy readings, regardless of proximity to an electrical supply source.

The products feature AES (*1) plastic material, which is durable against UV light; an important component given the device's frequent exposure to sunlight. The devices also feature embossed buttons on the front panel to protect against exposure to precipitation.

Omron Healthcare aims to release the products in spring 2009 and will continue R&D efforts to improve device quality with respect to temperature and humidity, and will make the devices more airtight so that they can be recharged under a wider variety of conditions.

The HEM-SOLAR blood pressure monitors are environmentally conscious and use rechargeable batteries, not regular batteries, to reduce waste and emit less Co2 by using solar energy. Given the product's lifespan of 30,000 uses, the amount of waste materials that can be reduced is 80 batteries with the manual model and 400 batteries with the automatic model.

Omron Healthcare has proactively been working on developing environmentally-friendly products for some time. In 2004, it started responding to RoHS (*2), a European regulation for use of harmful materials - ahead of other manufacturers, and applying it to 99 percent of its products (*3) even though RoHS does not regulate blood pressure monitors (*4). In the near future, the company will respond 100 percent to RoHS guidelines on blood pressure monitors and spread worldwide its approach as an environmentally friendly company through the creation of products such as the HEM-SOLAR Series.

*1 AES plastic resin = Acrylonitrile/Ethylene-propylene-diene/ Styrene plastic-resin plastic that has higher durability in various climates.
*2 RoHS = Restriction on Hazardous Substances - European legislation intended to eliminate or severely curtail the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl eher (PBDE) in all products from automobiles to consumer electronics.
*3 Omron Healthcare's products responding to the RoHS Directive can be found here: http://www.healthcare.omron.co.jp/corp/environmental/abolition.html
*4 As of March 2008.

http://www.healthcare.omron.co.jp/englishnews_20080313.php

Source: Omron Healthcare Co.,Ltd.
Contact: Omron Healthcare Co.,Ltd.
Public Relations Department Manager: Y. Kiyosue Public R
elations Department: Y. Tomita, Y. Kitamura 5-9-11
Osaki MT Building 14F Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN 141-0001
TEL: +81-3-6408-0845 FAX: +81-3-6408-0645
*new address and numbers from March 2008 Public Relations Department Kyoto: K. Iijima, T. Yuasa 24 Yamanouchi Yamanoshita-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan 615-0084
TEL: +81-75-322-9309 FAX: +81-75-322-9303
E-mail: pr_ohq@omron.co.jp http://www.healthcare.omron.co.jp

Inquiry for Consumers Omron Healthcare Service Department Toll Free: 0120-30-6606 9:00-19:00 [Mon-Fri] (except for national holidays)

California org supports SEIU-UHW West platform for change

Los Angeles, California (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - A number of community organizations and key Asian Pacific Islander leaders in California have unanimously thrown their unequivocal support for SEIU United Healthcare Workers - West (UHWWest) and its Platform for Change.

The UHW-West Executive Board, representing 150,000 health care workers in California and led by its president Sal Rosselli, recently ratified its Platform for Change to express its avowed principles for building a successful international union.

Among the organizations expressing their support for UHW-Wests position are the following: The Bangladesh Association of California, composed of 42 organizations; the Bangladesh Unity Federation of Los Angeles led by Majib Siddiquee, Esq. who is also the chair of Publicity Committee; the Society of Guerillas and Scouts Inc. (SGSI); the largest Filipino World War II Veterans organization in California led by Commander Jack Vergara; Peping Baclig, Chairman of the West Region of the 4,000 strong American Coaltion of Filipino Veterans (ACFV);

Commander Franco Arcebal, Vice President of ACFV; Eugene Mondok, Commander of the Unified Filipino American Veterans (UFAV); Echo Park Community Coalitions (EPCC); Coalition of Filipino American Organizations of California led by Arturo P. Garcia; Filipino Workers Center of Southern California Executive Director Aquilina Soriano-Verzosa; Association of Filipino Workers (AFW) President Salvador Lledo; the Coalition of Lions Club; and the Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace (EEJP) led by Ago Martinez. These organizations staunchly support UHW-West leaders Sal Rosselli and UHW Vice President Jay Valencias principled stand for the union and its members.

Rosselli lamented the fact that, "some SEIU leaders have gone in different directions - jeopardizing the original unions shared vision."

Rosselli added, "Our national union is moving in a different direction that differs with our shared vision and jeopardizing our ability to organize workers and bargain better conditions for our members and the patients, residents and consumers we care for."

Basic and Fundamental Differences Rosselli has accused Andy Stern, SEIU President, of advocating for a "growth at all cost" mentality that has shortchanged union members, according to a New York Times article by Steven Greenhouse appearing on February 29th.

"Andy is leading an effort for more centralization of power," Rosselli said.

"We believe its fundamentally important to empower the workers. The more power workers have, the stronger the union is."

Platform for Change Acting decisively, UHW-Wests Executive Board, with the strong voice of Administrative Vice President Jay Valencia, reaffirmed the core principles that UHW-West promotes in their Platform for Change:
- Union Democracy: One Member, One Vote
-- Organizing the Unorganized in our Core Industries with Active Participation of Worksite Leaders
-- Improving the Lives of Healthcare and those we Care for
-- Power for Workers in our Society UHW-West is hopeful they can build a successful 21st century International Union with the power to win big.

The community organizations supporting UHW-West are equally optimistic and enthusiastic to support UHW-Wests Platform for Change. They believe that the members of UHW-West will be able to build a genuine workers movement.

Coalition of Filipino American Organizations of California 1740 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026 Contact Person: Arturo P. Garcia Tel: (213)241-0906 Fax: (213)241-0944
Web site: http://www.seiu-uhw.org

SOURCE: SEIU UNITED HEALTHCARE WORKERS - WEST
CONTACT: Arturo P. Garcia of the Coalition of Filipino
American Organizations of California,
+1-213-241-0906, fax: +1-213-241-0944

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Clexane(R)/Lovenox(R) Approved in Japan

Paris (ANTARA/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Sanofi-aventis announced today that the anticoagulant Clexane(R) (enoxaparin sodium injection) has been approved for marketing in Japan by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery of the lower limbs such as total hip replacement, total knee replacement and hip fracture surgery.

Venous thromboembolism is a frequent and preventable complication among patients hospitalized for orthopaedic surgery. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism are common manifestations of VTE and can significantly impact morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. The Japanese VTE guidelines state that, without prophylaxis, between 27% and 50% of orthopaedic surgery patients may suffer from deep vein thrombosis. Among the hospitalised patients at risk for VTE, 64% are those undergoing surgery(1).

"In Japan, Clexane(R) is expected to greatly contribute to the prevention of venous thromboembolism and fulfil an important medical need for patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery," said Hanspeter Spek, Executive Vice-President Pharmaceutical Operations of sanofi-aventis. "Clexane(R)'s approval illustrates the commitment of sanofi-aventis to bring new life saving drugs to patients in Japan, where further clinical trials are being conducted with Clexane(R) to extend its use to abdominal surgery patients who are at risk for venous thromboembolic complications" he added.

Outside Japan with over 200 million patients treated in more than 100 countries, Clexane(R) / Lovenox(R) (enoxaparin sodium) is the most extensively studied and most widely used low-molecular-weight heparin in the world. In venous thrombosis, Clexane(R) / Lovenox(R) is recommended by international guidelines not only in orthopaedic and general surgical patients at high and moderate risk of VTE, but also for acutely ill medical patients, and is an important treatment option for millions of patients at risk of VTE(2). In arterial thrombosis, Clexane(R) / Lovenox(R) has demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing, in conjunction with other treatments, the ischaemic complications of unstable angina and myocardial infarction and is also recommended by international guidelines(2).

About Clexane(R) / Lovenox(R)
The no. 1 selling low-molecular weight heparin in the world, Clexane(R) / Lovenox(R), is a unique chemical entity in a class of antithrombotic agents known as low-molecular weight heparins (LMWH).

Its clinical applications are linked to its antithrombotic properties. It is used to inhibit clot formation in venous and arterial vessels to prevent potential acute or chronic complications of venous or arterial thrombosis.

The recommended dose regimen of Clexane(R) in Japan is 20 mg b.i.d subcutaneous and has been established with the results of Japanese clinical trials.

Enoxaparin sodium is known by the brand name Lovenox(R) or Clexane(R) or Klexane(R) and its labelling may vary country to country.

About venous thromboembolism (VTE)
Venous thromboembolism is a general term used to describe the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) that blocks a vein. This may occur in any part of the venous system, but the most common manifestations are deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), usually in the leg, and pulmonary embolism (PE). PE is a potentially life-threatening complication of DVT; anyone who experiences DVT is at risk of a PE, which occurs when part or all of a blood clot in a deep vein breaks away from where it originally formed and travels through the venous circulation, eventually becoming lodged in the lungs. This blocks the flow of blood in the lungs and is often fatal.

The total annual burden of non-fatal symptomatic VTE in the European Union, which included DVT and PE, is estimated to exceed 1.5 million events, including more than 500,000 deaths(3). This represents more than the double of the combined deaths due to AIDS, breast and prostate cancer and transport accidents(4).

In the United States, up to 2 million DVT events occur each year, and the development of PE causes up to 200,000 deaths annually(5). Fatal PE is the leading cause of sudden death among hospitalized patients and contributes to up to 10% of in-hospital deaths(6).

In Japan, the population survey report by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare showed that annual number of deaths from PE had sharply increased between 1988 and 2001 (591 to 1749 deaths).

About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT PARIS: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include product development, product potential projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future events, operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "plans" and similar expressions. Although sanofi-aventis' management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMEA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labeling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives as well as those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in sanofi-aventis' annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2006. Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

1. Cohen AT et al. A large-scale, global observational study of venous thromboembolism risk and prophylaxis in the acute hospital care setting: the ENDORSE study. Abstract Ndegrees 1827, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Geneva, 8 July 2007.

2. The seventh ACCP conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombotic Therapy. Chest. 2004.

3. Cohen AT on behalf of the VTE Impact Assessment Group in Europe (VITAE). Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in Europe: The number of VTE events and associated morbidity and mortality. Thromb Haemost 2007;98:756-76.

4. Eurostat statistics on health and safety 2001. Available from: http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int.

5. Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis. Available at http://www.preventdvt.org/ Accessed June 28, 2007.

6. Nicolaides AN, Fareed J, Kakkar AK, et al. Prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism. International Consensus Statement. (Guidelines according to scientific evidence). Int Angiology. 2006;25(2):101-161.

SOURCE: sanofi-aventis

CONTACT: Philippe Barquet for sanofi-aventis,
+33-6-70-48-61-28

Web site: http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int
http://www.preventdvt.org

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