NEWS & COMMENTS

PROHOST    FILTER

 HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS

MERCK’S (MRK) VACCINE

Could Be On The Market Next  Month

WHY MEDIMMUNE SHOULD BENEFIT?  

     GARDASIL is the name of Merck’s preventive vaccine, which is the first of its kind to protect young women and girls from the sexually transmitted human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes genital and skin warts and most cervical cancer. 

     An FDA advisory panel voted unanimously for Gardasil’s approval. The shots demonstrated efficacy in preventing early-stage cervical cancer and precancerous lesions in women and girls ages 9 to 26. But the story, we believe, will not end at those age groups. The vaccine, which targets four HPV types believed to cause more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital warts will be soon tested on  older women and in males.

    Can this same vaccine become a therapeutic vaccine for those who have already been infected with the virus? Nothing is mentioned about this possibility, which crosses the mind because a strong healthy immune system is known to be capable of clearing the infection. A successful preventive vaccine boosts the immune system against the virus. Never the less Gardasil was tested only as a preventive, not as a therapeutic. 

     A final FDA decision is expected by June 8 and according to Merck, Gardasil could be available within a month of the approval

     Gardasil is given in three doses over six months. The results demonstrated that the preventive vaccine protected patients with an effect that lasted five years. Five hundred females were monitored for that long. Studies will continue to see if booster shots are needed.

Merck said that the vaccine would have the greatest impact if given to girls before they become sexually active.

MEDIMMUNE (MEDI) SHOULD CELEBRATE TOO

    MedImmune has licensing agreements for key technology in the HPV vaccines of both Merck’s Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix. which is also an anti-human papilloma virus vaccine nearing approval. MEDI will receive royalties on sales of both vaccines. According to some analysts’ estimates, the MedImmune royalty payments could reach between $150 million to $200 million from both vaccines in the next few years. 

     The presence of anti HPV vaccines in the hands of pediatricians, gynecologists and other physicians is great news. HPV infects about half of sexually active adults. A great percentage of women over 50 have contracted   the virus that nothing is known to protect against it.   

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