Sanofi Halts Work on 3 Experimental Drugs

Sanofi-Aventis has been on an acquisition streak in recent weeks, buying smaller drug makers in the Czech Republic, Mexico and Brazil as it seeks to refill an R&D pipeline that analysts see as woefully light on new drugs to replace those that will soon go off patent and face competition from cheaper copies.

Most recently, Sanofi-Aventis agreed to pay $500 million for Brisbane, California-based BiPar Sciences, which is working on a new cancer treatment.