Merck’s Forecast Misses Expectations on Gardasil Woes

Merck & Co. forecast 2026 sales and profit that missed Wall Street’s expectations and said its HPV vaccine Gardasil may remain off the market in China this year as it continues to face challenges in the once-hot market for its shot.

Full-year sales will be $65.5 billion to $67 billion, Merck said Tuesday, missing the the average estimate from analysts as older drugs like Januvia and Bridion also see declines. Merck has several other aging blockbusters will face lower-priced competition in the coming years, most noticeably its cancer immunotherapy Keytruda. The drugmaker’s been working to find new growth drivers to make up for those impending losses.