As precedent he cites the example of Seldane, an antihistamine developed by HoechstMarionRoussel (now Aventis (nyse: AVE - news - people )) to treat hay fever.
Milan-based Biosearch Italia was once one of the main centers for antibiotic research at Hoechst-Marion-Roussel, a drug firm that is now part of Aventis (nyse: AVE - news - people ).