Date:21/12/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/21/stories/2005122105721700.htm

Business

ICMR partners MSD

Special Correspondent

Agreement covers cervical cancer vaccine studies

— Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

PARTNERING FOR RESEARCH: Leonard Tauro (left), Managing Director, MDS India, and N. K. Ganguly, Director General, ICMR, during the signing of an MoU between Merck and ICMR in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd (formerly Merck), a U.S.-based pharmaceutical company, on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding to study MSD's investigational cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil, in the Indian population.

The agreement spans a range of activities, starting with the design of a study to assess the use of Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus types 6,11,16, 18 recombinant vaccine) in the Indian population. In addition to assistance with the study design, MSD will supply Gardasil for use in the study. On completion of the study, the two partners will work together to assess the role of HPV vaccine (human papillomavirus) in India and identify ways of providing access to the vaccine.

"We 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 of MSD (India).

Speaking after signing the agreement, N. K. Ganguly, Director General of ICMR, said its collaboration with MSD would enable India to access international facilities and to UN-funded expertise.