Merck Ties Up With Zhifei To Distribute Gardasil In China, But What Happened To Sinopharm?

Merck has expanded its collaboration with Zhifei, its vaccine partner in China, by signing a three-year RMB 4.5 billion distribution deal for HPV vaccine Gardasil. But left unanswered is whether Merck will walk away from an intended partnership with Sinopharm it had previously emphasized.

SHANGHAI – Merck & Co. Inc. has signed a three-year deal with Shenzhen-listed vaccine maker Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co. Ltd. to be its exclusive distributor for blockbuster human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil in China, calling into question the relationship the U.S.-based drug major has with China’s biggest pharmaceutical distributor, Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd.

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