(Yicai) Aug. 21 -- Merck Sharp & Dohme surpassed AstraZeneca to become China’s largest foreign drugmaker by sales in the first half of the year, thanks to soaring sales of human papillomavirus vaccines in the country.

MSD’s sales in China reached USD3.6 billion in the six months ended June 30, up 45 percent from a year earlier, according to medical data information platform Menet. AstraZeneca’s sales rose 13 percent in the country to USD3 billion.

Last year, China extended the age range of the recipients of nine-valent HPV vaccines to between nine and 45 years from between 16 and 26, leading to a surge in demand for immunity against the virus that causes cervical cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in women.

Most of China’s nine-valent HPV jabs were done in private hospitals before. But now public hospitals in major cities such as Beijing have also begun to offer shots, people said on social media this month.

AstraZeneca’s first-half sales growth slowed in China, mainly because of centralized drug procurement, with sales of medicines included in the health insurance system increasing greatly, but their prices dropping significantly.

AstraZeneca’s China sales grew for the fourth consecutive quarter in the three months ended June 30, according to the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant’s latest earnings report.

Although AstraZeneca predicted its China sales to grow by a low single-digit figure this year, Wang Lei, its global executive vice president and China president, said at an investors’ meeting that he is optimistic about prospects in China. New products are expected to boost the firm’s revenue in the future, he noted.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Futura Costaglione