French drugs company Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) doesn't need to launch itself into a mega-merger in order to survive, French daily Le Monde reports Friday in an advance copy, citing an interview with Chief Executive Chris Viehbacher.

Cost savings and a focus on vaccines, diabetes, over-the-counter drugs, innovative products and emerging markets will allow the company to overcome the loss of business from patent expiries, and match sales and profits in 2013 to those of 2008, he said.

"We aren't in a situation of urgency. We don't have to launch a mega merger in order to survive," he said, Le Monde reports.

Newspaper Web site: www.lemonde.fr

-By Paris Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 33-1-4017 1740