According to Judge Kenneth Bell, there is a lack of evidence to conclude that Merck willingly misrepresented the safety of its HPV vaccine Gardasil to patients and prescribers.

A federal judge ruled in favor of Merck in litigation accusing it of concealing the risks of Gardasil, a vaccine to prevent cervical and other cancers caused by the human papillomavirus and one of the drugmaker's best-selling products.

A federal judge ruled in Merck & Co.’s favor in a safety lawsuit over its Gardasil vaccine, allowing the drugmaker to sidestep more than 200 cases claiming the company concealed safety risks.