US drug giant Merck and leading Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm Group have made a deal of collaboration to boost presence in China. As per the deal, the companies will jointly market Merck's cervical cancer vaccine and other vaccines in China, as the pharmaceutical industry begins expansion in Asia, reported the IBTimes.

This is the first such deal Merck has struck in China. Though the exact terms and conditions are yet to be announced it includes the potential for marketing other Merck products.

Merck, like its other competitors has made increasing sales in emerging markets a key portion of its growth strategy. Currently the sales of pharmaceuticals and vaccines in the emerging markets is at 17 percent and it is projected to increase to more than 25 percent by 2013.

In May 2010, the company told its investors that it already had an increase of 90 percent in China, since 2007 which amounted to a 3,000-strong sales force.