11 Million Fewer HPV Vaccines Available in 2024

Various media sources reported Merck would only supply 18.8 million HPV vaccine doses to Gavi-supported countries in 2024. Merck had previously promised to supply 29.6 million doses.

According to the Peoples Gazette, on April 19, 2024, Merck spokesman Patrick Ryan said the company "experienced a manufacturing disruption," requiring it to hold and check numerous doses manually.

Ryan disclosed that Burundi, Tajikistan, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso will not receive HPV vaccines in 2024.

By the end of 2022, 32 countries had successfully launched their HPV vaccine national program with Gavi support, fully immunizing more than 16.3 million girls since 2014.

GAVI says HPV vaccination is critical to reducing cervical cancer, especially in lower-income countries with a high disease burden and less developed cervical cancer screening and treatment programs.

On March 13, 2024, Merck announced plans to initiate clinical development of a new investigational multi-valent HPV vaccine designed to provide broader protection against multiple HPV types.

Separately, the company also plans to conduct clinical trials in both females and males to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single-dose regimen of the GARDASIL®9 vaccine compared to the approved three-dose regimen.

"Evidence continues to emerge showing the importance of GARDASIL and GARDASIL 9 to public health," said Dr. Eliav Barr, senior vice president, head of global clinical development, and chief medical officer, Merck Research Laboratories, in a press release.

"These significant investments build upon our leadership and, importantly, provide the opportunity to further impact the global burden of certain HPV-related cancers and diseases."

The latest addition to Merck's pipeline employs the company's proprietary virus-like particle (VLP) technology to incorporate additional VLPs for expanded HPV-type coverage.

This includes several types known to have a greater impact on African and Asian populations and individuals of African and Asian descent. First-in-human phase 1 clinical studies are scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2024.

In the U.S., HPV vaccines remain available at clinics and pharmacies in 2024.