Long-term efficacy data to be announced for Merck HPV vaccines

Reaffirming and long-term data for Merck’s HPV vaccines, Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant (GARDASIL 9) and Human Papillomavirus 4-valent Vaccine, Recombinant (GARDASIL), to protect against certain HPV-related cancers and diseases will be presented at the EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress 2026.¹

According to a press release from Merck, presentations will be held on March 18 and March 21, 2026, at the Congress in Vienna, Austria. The upcoming presentations include findings from studies tracking the long-term outcomes of vaccination in women aged 16 to 26 years, for up to 14 years after 3 doses of the 9-valent vaccine. For the quadravalent vaccine against HPV 16/18-regulated high-grade cervical disease, data will be presented that demonstrates up to 18 years following 3 doses.

GARDASIL 9 HPV indication

The 9-valent vaccine is indicated for use in females and males aged 9 through 45 years. It is designed to prevent various cancers, including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, oropharyngeal, and other head and neck cancers caused by HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58. Additionally, it targets precancerous or dysplastic lesions related to those types plus types 6 and 11, which are also responsible for genital warts.^1,2

GARDASIL

Although no longer marketed in the United States, the quadrivalent vaccine is indicated for females and males aged 9 through 26 years. It protects against cancers and lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18.

Additional information

The company will share additional data on certain HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers, and adult- and juvenile-onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) through studies done in the U.S., Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

“Nearly 2 decades after the U.S. FDA approval of GARDASIL in June 2006, we are proud to present these data for GARDASIL 9 and GARDASIL that reinforce the long-term effectiveness and importance of HPV vaccination for females ages 9 to 45 years, beginning in adolescence,” said Paula Annunziato, senior vice president, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, Global Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories. “Additionally, data on certain HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers highlight the importance of HPV vaccination in helping to prevent these cancers, which impact both women and men.”

RELATED: HPV vaccination provides sustained protection against cervical cancer3

According to Merck, the data will include the following abstracts related to the long-term efficacy of GARDASIL 9 and GARDASIL:

Abstract title: Long-term effectiveness of the 9-valent HPV vaccine in women aged 16-26 years at vaccination from Scandinavian countries.

Abstract title: Long-term effectiveness and immunogenicity of the quadrivalent HPV vaccine in young women from three Nordic countries: 18-year follow-up of the Future Il study.

Data will also include the following abstracts related to trends in the incidence of adult- and juvenile-onset RRP:

Abstract title: Clinical perspective of HPV diseases of the upper airway

Abstract title: Trends in the incidence of adult- and juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in the United States

Abstract title: Incidence of Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) in Denmark and Sweden during 2000-2023: Two nation-wide cohort studies in children and young adults

Abstract title: Comparative modeling of RRP elimination strategies in the UK and Denmark

Safety of GARDASIL 9 AND GARDASIL

Safety data indicate that both vaccines are contraindicated in individuals with hypersensitivity to yeast or those who experienced a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose. Syncope has been reported following administration; therefore, a 15-minute observation period is recommended post-vaccination. In some cases, syncope was accompanied by tonic-clonic movements or other seizure-like activity.

The most frequent adverse reactions reported for the 9-valent vaccine in females (occurring in >10% of participants) included headache and injection-site pain, erythema, and swelling. For males, the most common local reactions (>10%) were injection-site pain, swelling, and erythema. For the quadrivalent vaccine, common reactions (>1.0%) included fever, nausea, dizziness, headache, and various injection-site symptoms such as bruising and pruritus.

Watch: Kevin Ault, MD, on vaccines & autism, local government, HPV vaccine advocacy

The linking of vaccines to autism continue to ciruculate surrounding immunization, but decades of research continue to show no association between routine maternal vaccines and neurodevelopmental disorders, according to Kevin Ault, MD, vice president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, and former member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Click here to watch.

References:

1. Merck to present new data reinforcing long-term efficacy of GARDASIL 9 and GARDASIL at the EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress 2026. March 17, 2026. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260316267753/en/Merck-to-Present-New-Data-Reinforcing-Long-Term-Efficacy-of-GARDASIL9-and-GARDASIL-at-the-EUROGIN-International-Multidisciplinary-HPV-Congress-2026
2. 2. GARDASIL 9. FDA. Updated March 26, 2025. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/vaccines/gardasil-9