Merck, known as Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) outside the U.S. and Canada, announced Tuesday that it is suspending supplies of the HPV vaccine Gardasil to China, a suspension that is expected to last at least until mid-year.

A financial report Merck released the same day showed that the company's fiscal fourth-quarter sales were $15.6 billion, up 7% from a year earlier.

Among them, Gardasil sales fell 17% year-on-year to $1.55 billion, which Merck said was mainly due to reduced demand in China.

In January, Gardasil was approved for marketing by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)  for a number of new indications, and is indicated for vaccination in males aged 9 to 26 years.

Gardasil also became the first and only HPV vaccine approved for males in mainland China.