• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Merck and the Indian Council of Medical Research Announce a Public-Private Partnership for GARDASIL(R) in India

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 December 2005, 09:00 CST

Merck & Co., Inc. and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced today a collaboration to study Merck's investigational cervical cancer vaccine, GARDASIL(R) (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. In addition to assistance with the study design, Merck will supply GARDASIL for use in the study. Upon completion of the study, the two partners will work together to assess the role of GARDASIL in the population of India and to identify ways of providing access to GARDASIL.

Other collaborators are being sought to participate in the project. The new partnership with India's ICMR 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.

"We are pleased to begin this partnership with the ICMR and are committed to supporting efforts to study potential ways to help reduce the threat cervical cancer poses to India's female population," said Leonard Tauro, managing director, MSD India. Mark Feinberg, M.D., Ph.D., vice president, public policy and medical affairs, Merck Vaccine Division 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."

About 510,000 cases of cervical cancer are reported each year with nearly 80 percent occurring in developing countries. Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer in India(i), 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 (WHO).(ii)

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

Partnerships between industry, non-governmental organizations and the governments of individual countries are critical in determining the best approach to the introduction of investigational medicines and vaccines to the public sector in developing countries. Merck continues to seek more public-partnerships with appropriate non-governmental organizations and governments to address significant healthcare burdens in the developing world.

About GARDASIL(R)

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

In 1995, Merck entered into a license agreement and collaboration with CSL Limited relating to technology used in GARDASIL. GARDASIL is also the subject of other third-party licensing agreements.

About Merck

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck currently discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The Company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. The forward-looking statements may include statements regarding product development, product potential or financial performance. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual results may differ materially from those projected. Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Merck's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements in Item 1 of Merck's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2004, and in its periodic reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, which the company incorporates by reference. (i) World Health Organization (WHO), Regional Office for South-East Asia, Noncommunicable Diseases in South-East Asia Region: A Profile (New Delhi: WHO, 2002). (ii) J. Ferlay et al., GLOBOCAN 2002: Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence Worldwide, IARC CancerBase No. 5. Version 2.0 (IARCPress: Lyon, 2004). (iii) WHO, Noncommunicable Diseases in South-East Asia Region: A Profile.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category