Merck has filed last month for FDA approval for the use of its drug Gardasil, a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, by males between the ages 9 to 26.
Gardasil has been approved as a means of preventing cervical and other types of cancer in girls and women. Males can also carry and transmit the sexually transmitted virus HPV.
Gardasil has been a blockbuster product for Merck, but sales growth for the drug has recently slowed.