FDA OKs New HPV Vaccine Cervarix

Oct. 16, 2009 -- The FDA today approved the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Cervarix for use in girls and young women ages 10-25 to help prevent cervical cancer.

Cervarix targets two HPV strains, HPV 16 and HPV 18, which are leading causes of cervical cancer. Cervarix is approved to help prevent cervical precancers and cervical cancers associated with those two types of HPV.

HPV infection is common; the virus is sexually transmitted. Most women who get infected don't develop cervical cancer, and there are other causes of cervical cancer.

In clinical trials, Cervarix was shown to be 93% effective in preventing cervical precancers associated with HPV 16 or HPV18 in women with no evidence of current or previous infection with one of those two HPV types, according to GlaxoSmithKline, the drug company that makes Cervarix.

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/news/20091016/fda-oks-new-hpv-vaccine-cervarix

So, what is this for, making money for the drug companies?

But that doesn't make a vaccine simply a money maker.

And genital warts aren't exactly fun either, although rarely deadly.

On the flip side, if you happen to be someone who had to undergo surgery and several rounds of chemo, a vaccine starts looking a heck of lot better.

Because research has shown that giving the vaccine to women who already have the virus actually increases the risk of a serious cancer.

Gardasil protects against more types of HPV and targets genital warts and has been approved for males and females age 9-26.

on that age group. Merck's aim in pushing for a mandate was to head off the competitors. Obviously, it worked -- now people are conditioned to think that Gardasil is the standard.

I don't care either way but Gardasil protects against 4 types of HPV while Cervarix protects against 2. If they're competitively priced, so I would think most people would pick the vaccine that protects against more types of HPV.

Here's an article from Reuters about it:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE49M95V20081023?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

On Edit, changed "Europe" to "the UK"

these are the first vaccines that prevent cancer -- hopefully good signs for the future.

Both vaccines employ the use of adjuvants, which boost the ability of an antigen to stimulate an immune response. But, while Merck's Gardasil uses an aluminum salt adjuvant, Cervarix uses a novel adjuvant known as AS04, which GSK is hoping to prove will give its vaccine an edge over its rival.

http://www.natap.org/2007/newsUpdates/012207_04.htm

It's good to see choice and competition.