France's antitrust body the Autorite de la Concurrence Tuesday said it is rejecting a claim from the French subsidiary of generic medicine maker Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) to immediately sanction French pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi-Aventis (SNY, SAN.FR) for alleged anticompetitive behavior with regards to generic alternatives to its heart drug Plavix.

The conditions required for implementing initial sanctions don't exist, the body said. However, the body will conduct a deeper investigation into the issue.

According to the body, Teva is claiming that Sanofi, in its marketing efforts, doesn't remind doctors and pharmacies that the generic alternatives to its blockbuster Plavix have been approved by medical authorities.

The body will launch an investigation to verify if Sanofi's commercial practices constitute legitimate commercial defense or could be considered as abusive.

A spokesman for the body said it will provide further information on the progress of the investigation in several months.

-By Mimosa Spencer, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 40 17 17 73; mimosa.spencer@dowjones.com