Evaluating a new HPV vaccine in healthy adults

A Phase 1, Randomized, Double-Blind, Comparator-Controlled, Dose-Escalation Trial to Evaluate, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of V540D in Healthy Adults.

PHASE1 · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC · NCT06688058

This study is testing a new HPV vaccine called V540D in healthy adults to see if it is safe and can help protect against more types of HPV than the current GARDASIL®9 vaccine.

Quick facts

PhasePHASE1
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment72 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 45 Years
SexAll
SponsorMerck Sharp & Dohme LLC (industry)
Locations4 sites (Hollywood, Florida and 3 other locations)
Trial IDNCT06688058 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to assess the safety and tolerability of a new vaccine called V540D in healthy adults. The vaccine is designed to protect against various types of human papillomavirus (HPV), including those not covered by the existing GARDASIL®9 vaccine. Participants will receive the V540D vaccine, and researchers will monitor their health and immune response to determine the vaccine's safety profile. The study is crucial for understanding how well this new vaccine can prevent HPV-related cancers.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are healthy adults without a history of HPV-related conditions or cancers.

Not a fit: Patients with a history of HPV-related lesions or cancers will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this vaccine could provide broader protection against HPV-related cancers than current vaccines.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been successful studies on HPV vaccines, this specific approach with V540D is novel and untested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

The key inclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

* Is in good health based on medical history, physical examination, vital sign (VS) measurements and electrocardiograms (ECGs) performed before randomization

Exclusion Criteria:

The key exclusion criteria include but are not limited to the following:

* Has a history of abnormal Pap smears, HPV- related external genital lesions (eg, condyloma acuminate, vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), or prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)) or external genital cancer (eg, penile cancer), HPV-related vaginal or anal lesions (eg, condyloma acuminata or vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN)) or vaginal or anal cancer
* Has a history of cancer (malignancy)
* Has received any HPV vaccine or is expected to receive any HPV vaccine during the study, outside the protocol

Where this trial is running

Hollywood, Florida and 3 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Healthy

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.