GSK, Merck Reach Deal on HPV Vaccine Patent Rights

Merck and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have settled their competing intellectual property claims related to their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine candidates.

Under a cross-license and settlement agreement for certain vaccine patent rights, GSK will receive an upfront payment and royalties from Merck based upon sales of a HPV vaccine when it is developed and launched, the companies said. Merck and GSK declined to disclose further financial details and terms.

Each company will conduct independent research, development and marketing activities -- pending regulatory approval -- for their investigational HPV vaccines, Merck and GSK said.

Some 20 million Americans are infected with HPV -- for which there is no cure -- and another 5.5 million become infected each year, according to a 2004 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report to Congress titled, "Prevention of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection." HPV infection is a leading cause of cervical cancer, the report states. The CDC estimates that each year 12,200 women develop cervical cancer, and 4,100 die from it. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of worldwide cancer-related deaths in women, according to Merck.

For more information on HPV and a link to the CDC report, go to http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/ (http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/).