Sanofi-Aventis changed its outlook for 2009. This happened due to the sales of swine flu vaccine and earnings posted per share growth that beat forecasts. The competition from other generics was deferred by revenue growth for other drugs.

H1N1 vaccines were expected to add about $500 million to its sales in the fourth quarter by Sanofi. They said that the sales would carry on at a similar rate until the first quarter and in both periods most vaccine shipments will take place.

Sanofi also predicted 2009 adjusted earnings per share excluding items would experience a growth of 11 percent at constant exchange rates instead of the 10 percent earlier.

By the third quarter expectations were beaten by EPS increasing 16.3 percent to 1.71 euros. This can partly be attributed to cost cutting. Swine flu treatments have boosted growth for several drugmakers.

Next to the French drugmaker, Sanofi, AstraZeneca is increasing its outlook since last week and GlaxoSmithKline said it too was in line for a booster from H1N1 vaccine in the last quarter.

The French drugmaker is awaiting European Union regulatory approval for two versions of its H1N1 flu vaccine which is expecting clearance for the Panenza vaccine in the next weeks and for the Humenza adjuvented, vaccine by mid-December.

The extra revenues earned by Sanofi due to swine flu vaccines is only a temporary way to overcome loss of about fifth of its revenues in the next years because of patent expiries.