Merck, Indian Council of Medical Research collaborate on cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil

By E. Janene Geiss

Philadelphia, Dec. 20 - Merck & Co., Inc. and the Indian Council of Medical Research announced Tuesday a collaboration to study Merck's investigational cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16, 18, recombinant vaccine), in developing populations in India.

The agreement spans a range of activities, starting with the design of a study to assess the use of Gardasil in India, according to a company news release.

In addition to assistance with the study design, Merck said it will supply Gardasil for use in the study.

Upon completion of the study, Merck and the council will work together to assess the role of Gardasil in India and to identify ways of providing access to Gardasil, officials said.

Other collaborators are being sought to participate in the project.

The partnership with India's council is an example of Merck's commitment to providing access to medicines and vaccines to the people who need them in countries throughout the world, officials said.

"Our hope is to work closely with fellow collaborators to establish a model in India that can be adapted for introducing Gardasil in the many developing nations worldwide," Mark Feinberg, vice president of public policy and medical affairs for Merck Vaccine Division, said in the release.

About 510,000 cases of cervical cancer are reported each year with nearly 80% occurring in developing countries.

Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer in India with more than 130,000 new cases reported each year and 74,000 women dying annually from the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

"The rate of cervical cancer in India is extremely high," said N.K. Ganguly of the Indian Council of Medical Research. "The disease accounts for an estimated 24% of India's cancer cases among women, compared with 20% for breast cancer. Through this partnership with Merck, we hope to determine the role vaccination may play in reducing the burden of cervical cancer in India."

Gardasil is Merck's investigational cervical cancer vaccine designed to protect against four types of human papillomavirus (HPV) - types 16 and 18, which account for an estimated 70% of cervical cancer cases and types 6 and 11, which account for an estimated 90% of genital wart cases, officials said.

Merck is a Whitehouse Station, N.J., research-driven pharmaceutical company.

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