Speaking to Business Standard, Sanjiv Navangul, sales and marketing director, MSD, said, "As many as 70,000 women die due to cervical cancer every year. This is more prevalent than breast cancer." The symptoms may be absent until the cancer is in its advanced stages. The cancer is a result of infection by the human papillomavirus.
The company had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for a three-year study on the vaccine and cervical cancer in December 2005.
"The study will begin in a month,'' he said, adding the results were expected to start coming in in one-and-a-half years after the study begins as the recruitment of patients for the studies will be staggered. "We will supply whatever dosage ICMR needs at an affordable cost," said Sanjiv without quantifying the order that will come through.
The company, which had just 80 people working in India last year, now employs 400 and plans to take this number to 800 by this year end.
It has also entered into a working relationship with drug manufacturers Nicholas Piramal and Advinus for screening basic research molecules. MSD will pay the two companies for every stage of testing.
More From This Section
"This is different from contract research where partner companies come into play in Phase II or Phase III of trials," he said, adding MSD will have the product rights. This will enable the company to reduce research costs and duration as it will work with some lead indicators.
MSD has also partnered hospital majors for research projects and clinical trials. Worldwide sales of Merck stood at $24.2 billion for the full-year 2007.