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Investigational Vaccine Promising in Preventing Cervical Cancer Print E-mail
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For the first time, Merck & Co. Inc, have found that a three-dose regimen of an investigational vaccine (GARDASIL) prevented 100 percent of the high-grade cervical pre-cancers and the non-invasive cervical cancers associated with Human papillomavirus virus (HPV), according to a new phase III study conducted by the company. The results of the study will be presented in full detail, for the first time, at the Infectious Diseases Society of America (ISDA) annual meeting. Human papillomavirus virus (HPV) has been identified as the cause of cervical cancer, pre-cancers, benign cervical lesions and genital wart in roughly 20 million American men and women.

Investigational Vaccine Promising in Preventing Cervical Cancer The phase III 'FUTURE II' study is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with two vaccination groups - those women receiving a three-dose regimen or GARDASIL and a group of women receiving a placebo. Over the 6-month period of time, the study looked at 12,167 women between the age of 16 and 26 years from 13 countries - including Brazil, Mexico, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Women receiving the three-dose vaccine were roughly equal to those receiving the placebo.

Cervical cancer results in approximately 290,000 deaths worldwide each year. In the United States alone, an estimated 10,400 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2005 resulting in an estimated 3,700 deaths.

"These are the first pivotal data to show that vaccination with GARDASIL reduced HPV 16 and18-related cervical pre-cancer and non-invasive cervical cancer," said Laura Koutsky, Ph.D., principal investigator, HPV research group, University of Washington, Seattle.

GARDASIL was designed to target HPV types 16 and 18, which account for 70 percent of cervical cancers, and HPV types 6 and 11, which account for 90 percent of cases of genital warts. These four types also cause benign cervical changes that result in "abnormal" Pap tests.

"Merck has been committed to vaccine research and development for over a century," said Peter S. Kim, Ph.D., president, Merck Research Laboratories. "We have hope that GARDASIL will continue the great Merck tradition of developing medicines and vaccines that make a real difference in people's lives."

SOURCE:Â Merck & Co.

Helpful Links

National Cervical Cancer Coalition

American Cancer Society

Quality Health Support Groups

National Women's Health Resource Center

Merck & Co.

This summary is a snapshot of a larger, more detailed article by Merck & Co. Nubella encourages all visitors and readers to click on the link provided and read each article in its entirety, as that is an excellent way to gain a thorough understanding of the subject presented.