Aventis

Aventis was a multinational pharmaceutical and agricultural company formed in 1999 through the merger of the German chemical group Hoechst Marion Roussel and the French pharmaceutical company Rhône-Poulenc Rorer. The company operated globally as a major player in prescription medicines and crop science, with research and manufacturing facilities across Europe, North America, and other regions.

Its corporate structure comprised two main divisions: Aventis Pharma, focused on prescription medicines for humans; and Aventis CropScience, a crop-science unit formed to integrate agricultural products such as pesticides and seeds.

In 2004, Aventis merged with Sanofi-Synthelabo to form Sanofi-Aventis, creating one of the world's largest pharmaceutical groups. The combined company adopted the Sanofi-Aventis brand, which was later shortened to Sanofi in 2011, aligning the corporate name with the broader Sanofi portfolio.

Aventis contributed to a wide range of medicines across therapeutic areas and supported research in vaccines and other biologics. Its existence helped drive consolidation in the pharmaceutical industry during the early 2000s, culminating in the current structure of the Sanofi group.