Slowing Gardasil Sales Hurt MRK's Top Line: Is Recovery in the Cards?

Key Takeaways Gardasil sales fell 40% in Q1 2025 due to weak demand and high inventory levels in China. MRK paused China shipments from February 2025 as Zhifei works through excess inventory. MRK withdrew Gardasil's $11B sales goal by 2030, citing China's economic headwinds.Merck’s (MRK) second-largest product is Gardasil, which is a vaccine for the prevention of certain cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Though the vaccine’s sales rose consistently till 2022, it started witnessing sluggish sal ...