Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), a wholly owned subsidiary of pharma major Merck & Co. Inc. launched a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, the most common condition in India with more than 1,30,000 women diagnosed with it every year.
The vaccine is one of its kind & has been approved by the US Food & Drugs Authority.
The vaccine Gardasil was launched in 2006& is available in 108 countries.
Regulatory approvals & Immunogenity studies delayed its launch in India.
Currently, trials are being done by the Indian Council of Medical Research & "could take upto 3 years, but once they are done, the vaccine will be made available by the government as well," said Naveen A. Rao, mabaging director, MSD India.
Gardasil is priced at Rs2,800 ashot with three doses prescribed for efficacy.
According to a World Health Organisation Study, the risk of the cancer in India is 2.4% compared with an average of 1.3% for the world.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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