MSD Pharmaceuticals, the wholly owned Indian subsidiary of Merck, is awaiting approval from the Drug Controller General of India to launch a human papillomavirus vaccine to treat cervical cancer. The company has already conducted clinical trials.

Sanjiv Navangul, sales and marketing director, MSD, said, "As many as 70,000 women die due to cervical cancer every year. This is more prevalent than breast cancer."

The company had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Council of Medical Research for a three-year study on the vaccine and cervical cancer in December 2005.

"The study will begin in a month," he said, adding that the results are expected in one-and-a-half years.  We will supply whatever dosage ICMR needs at an affordable cost,'' said Sanjiv, without quantifying the order that will come through.

The company, which had 80 people working in India last year, now employs 400 persons and plans to take this number to 800 by the year-end.

It has also entered into pacts with drug manufacturers Nicholas Piramal [Get Quote] and Advinus for screening basic research molecules. MSD will pay the two companies for every stage of testing.

"This is different from contract research where partner companies come into play in phase-II or phase-III of trials,'' he said, adding that MSD will have the product rights. This will enable the company to reduce research costs and duration as it will work with some lead indicators.

MSD has also partnered with hospital majors for research projects and clinical trials.

Globally, sales of Merck stood at $24.2 billion for the full year of 2007.