Merck & Co.’s blockbuster vaccine Gardasil has had a roller-coaster ride in China. A post-Covid surge in demand for the cancer-preventing shot quickly deflated last year, to the point the US pharmaceutical giant made the call earlier this week to halt shipments.

The continued decline of Merck & Co.’s HPV vaccine Gardasil in China has come to a head as the New Jersey drug giant is halting shipments to the world’s second-most populous country. | The recent decline of Merck & Co.

Merck & Co. (MRK) stock lost over 9% yesterday on announcing a temporary shipment halt of its Gardasil vaccine to China. The pharmaceutical

Merck said on Tuesday it would not ship its HPV vaccine Gardasil in China until at least the middle of this year due to weak discretionary spending, a move that dented its full-year forecast and sent shares tumbling 11% in early trading.

Merck’s problems in China seem to be getting worse, raising questions about the company’s growth. Trouble with sales of Merck’s Gardasil HPV vaccine in China, disclosed six months ago, has unsettled investors,