Merck & Co's varicella production issues persist
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Merck & Co's manufacturing problems for varicella zoster virus continue to cause supply disruptions, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) in a June update. Merck says that customers should expect shipment delays of as much as six weeks in the coming months for the shingles vaccine Zostavax. Merck began marketing Zostavax in 2006 and last year had sales of $236 million; last month the CDC recommended that people aged 60 and above should receive Zostavax (Scrip No 3364, p 21).