Reuters has the story -- this explains why both Schering and Merck were off today -- likely along with some jitters about Q3 2009 numbers, for each (which conference calls I will live blog, tomorrow, here). But for now, Felix Salmon (no relation) has the skinny:
. . . .Despite some impassioned pleas from patients and doctors alike, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted almost unanimously for "permissive" use of the vaccine for boys. It protects against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, which causes a variety of cancers and genital warts.
But the committee did recommend including Gardasil for eligible boys aged 9 to 18 in the Vaccines For Children program, a government-funded system that provides vaccines to children eligible for the state-federal Medicaid health insurance plan and other uninsured children.
Merck's shares were down 1.7 percent at $33.16 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. . . .
Pretty much as I earlier predicted it all might go down. Now, let's see what "the morrow brings" us -- bright and early.
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