Roussel Uclaf

Roussel-Uclaf S.A.
Company typePublic (Société anonyme)
IndustryPharmaceutical
FoundedParis, France (1911 (1911))
Institut de Sérothérapie Hémopoïétique
ISH (1920)

Usines Chimiques des Laboratoires Français
UCLAF (1928)

Société Française de la Pénicilline
SOFRAPEN (1947)

(Roussel-Uclaf, S.A. incorporated 1961)
FounderGaston Roussel
DefunctSeptember 30, 1997 (1997-09-30)
FateAcquired
SuccessorHoechst AG (Hoechst Marion Roussel)
HeadquartersParis, France (1911–1995)
Romainville, France (1995–1997)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Gaston Roussel (CEO, 1911–1947)
Jean-Claude Roussel (CEO, 1961–1972)
Jacques Machizaud (CEO, 1974–1981)
Édouard Sakiz (CEO, 1981–1993)
Ernst-Günter Afting (CEO, 1994–1995)
Jean-Pierre Godard (CEO, 1995–1997)
ProductsHemostyl (erythropoietin, horse serum)
Rubiazol (carboxysulfamidochrysoidine)
Rythmodan (disopyramide)
Decis (deltamethrin)
Surgam (tiaprofenic acid)
Claforan (cefotaxime sodium)
Mifegyne (mifepristone, RU-486)
Anandron (nilutamide)
Revenue US$ 3.01 billion (1996)
US$ 340 million(1996)
Number of employees
15,673 worldwide (1992)
  8,409 in France (1992)
  6,533 in France (1996)

Roussel Uclaf S.A. was a French pharmaceutical company and one of several predecessor companies of today's Sanofi.

It was the second largest French pharmaceutical company before it was acquired by Hoechst AG of Frankfurt, Germany in 1997, with pharmaceutical operations combined into the Hoechst Marion Roussel (HMR) division in the United States. Roussel Uclaf's agrochemical operations had been transferred to Hoechst Schering AgrEvo GmbH in 1994.

HMR subsequently merged in 1999 with Rhône-Poulenc to form Aventis, which then merged in 2004 with Sanofi-Synthélabo to form Sanofi-Aventis, which was since renamed Sanofi. Hoechst Schering AgrEvo merged in 1999 with Rhône-Poulenc's agrochemical division to form Aventis CropScience, which was acquired by Bayer AG in 2002 and combined with Bayer's agrochemical division to form Bayer CropScience.