Gardasil beats expectations in Europe: executive
Last Updated: 2007-05-31 13:30:31 -0400 (Reuters Health)
By Ben Hirschler
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Sales of cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil in Europe have exceeded internal expectations, the head of the Sanofi-Aventis SA and Merck & Co. Inc. venture that sells vaccines in Europe said on Thursday.
"Today, globally, for Gardasil, we are more than in line with what we expected," Didier Hoch told reporters on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations in Brussels.
Hoch heads Sanofi Pasteur MSD (SPMSD), a 50/50 joint venture between Sanofi and Merck.
Sales of Gardasil, which was launched late last year in Europe, have been particularly strong in Germany, Austria and Sweden, where authorities have been quick to adopt the vaccine for girls and young women, he added.
In some other European countries, SPMSD is still awaiting funding and recommendations from official committees on use of the product.
But Hoch said he was hopeful Britain would approve guidelines on its use next month and France would also complete reimbursement plans by the end of June.
A decision is expected in Spain during the summer.
Gardasil could soon face competition from GlaxoSmithKline Plc's rival product Cervarix, which is expected to be launched in Europe in the second half of 2007.
A decision this week to give Cervarix a standard, rather than priority, review in the United States means it is unlikely to go on sale in the world's top market before 2008, however.
Both Gardasil and Cervarix protect against cancer-causing strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). They are expected by analysts to create a multibillion-dollar market.
Hoch said he was unfazed by the looming competition from Glaxo.
"We know we will have a competitor -- this is normal life. It will be up to the follower to prove its product is competitive," he said.
The two vaccines represent a promising new opportunity for the global vaccines industry, which for many years has been viewed as a low-growth, low-margin business.
Both will sell for substantially more than conventional, simpler products and Hoch said the industry as a whole was shifting to higher-value, more innovative vaccines.
Citing estimates from analysts, Hoch predicted the worldwide vaccines market would grow from 9.5 billion euros ($12.8 billion) in 2006 to between 16 billion and 24 billion euros by 2011.
