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Aventis’executives
have announced the divestment on research in anti-infectious and Parkinson
diseases. They want to shut down the Romainville center, second center for
medical research in France, and the only national pole in the research of
anti-infectious diseases. We
are totally against this decision and we want to draw attention on
irreversible consequences. Our
fellow citizens are legitimately concerned about public health and access
to healthcare. The medical community wants to underline the problems they
meet: increasing resistance to antibiotics, the increase of infections
contracted in hospital environment and the weakness of the therapeutic
means of defence against fungal and parasitic infections. We
have a strong feeling of anxiety regarding the future of the potential to
research and produce medicines in France and Europe. After
the closure of the research center of PFIZER (ex- JOUVEINAL), the
pre-programmed divestments of BAYER in Germany and AVENTIS in France, what
will become of the future of industrial research in life sciences in
Europe ? The departures of pharmaceutical groups to the United States are
creating a dangerous monopolistic situation in terms of prices and choice
in the manufacture of medicine. Are we going to accept the total
dependency of France and Europe on a country, which refuses any
cooperation with the Southern countries and does not hesitate to use
medicines as a weapon like military weapons or hunger as weapon? The
World Health Organisation stipulates that every year in the world, 17
million human beings die of infectious diseases, alone. If
the project is not halted, there will be over 1000 jobs sacked or
delocalised, wrecking in the process recognised teams, dismantling
laboratories equipped with scientific instrumentation and taking away an
exceptional technology and expertise gained over many years. AVENTIS
Romainville is a potential resource available for the training of young
scientists and center for innovation and development. It benefits from the
experience over a number of years of the effective cooperation between the
private and public sectors. We
cannot accept the departure of the scientists abroad and the loss of their
knowledge due to the decline in Research and Development in a field vital
for our future. We are convinced that a country like France must take this
situation most seriously and prevent it by all means.
There
is a matter of urgency: the
decision has been announced for the 4th September 2003. The
combined action of workers, researchers, professionals of many fields,
civil elected members and representatives of trade unions, has prevented
this waste for the past four years. Together they support an alternative
project- the NEREIS project- recently presented to the ministries of
Industry, Research and New Technologies. This project consists of
maintaining the Romainville Center by putting it at the disposal of
development in public research, PME/PMI (firms of small sizes),
international foundations and organisations such as the World Health
Organisation or MSF (French organisation of Doctors without Frontiers).
This project aims to maintain a French and an European advanced research
center and which would be a pole for welcoming young science majors and
guarantee their activities. The
Paris and suburb area Regional Council has decided to hold a three-month
audit on site. With
so much at stake we ask to Aventis management to accept a moratorium
regarding its restructuring plans in order to take all the proposals and
factors into account. It is the official authorities responsibility to use
all means of influence to maintain, to protect the scientifific and
industrial center of Romainville with its strong potential, long-standing
experience. By defending this centre we
defend our hope and future. Please sign. 12th
June 2003. First
signatories of our appeal: Surname: First
Name: Occupation: Kindly
send this back to Patrick Vandevelde
Tel: 33 1 49915920- Fax: 33 1 49913900 Email: patrick.vandevelde@aventis.com NEREIS
Internet site: http://www.nereis-sante.com |
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