Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7155

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Cullen A.
Sanofi, Merck's Gardasil Wins Austrian Reimbursement
Bloomberg.com 2006 Dec 20
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601202&sid=a2nM0wbDxgjE&refer=healthcare

Abstract:

Sanofi Pasteur MSD, a venture between Sanofi-Aventis SA and Merck & Co., said its Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine won reimbursement in Austria and Germany and is now available in 13 European countries.

Austria has included the product in its national vaccination program, and will recommend it for girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 15 and for women from Jan. 1, the Lyon, France- based company said today. Health insurance funds covering more than 25 million people in Germany agreed to fully reimburse the product, and in France three private health insurance funds will partially refund the product, the company said.

Gardasil is the first vaccine approved in Europe to protect against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. U.K. drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc submitted a competing vaccine to European regulators in May and expects to submit its product to U.S. regulators in April.

``We anticipate that the majority of the European Union countries will complete their recommendation and funding decisions during 2007,’‘ said Didier Hoch, Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s president.

The vaccines target the human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts as well as cervical cancer, the second-most common malignancy among women worldwide. Gardasil may generate $3 billion in annual sales, according to Lehman Brothers. Whitehouse Stations, New Jersey-based Merck is depending on the vaccine to help revive revenue growth.

French health authorities will decide whether to reimburse Gardasil under the national security system in the first four months of next year, Sanofi Pasteur said. Sanofi and Merck will help the venture market the product.