11/03/06

What's New in Cervical Cancer Prevention

Gardasil® HPV vaccine added to Vaccines for Children contract;
Partnership to End Cervical Cancer coalition launched

In June 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil®, a vaccine by Merck and Company to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts caused by certain types of HPV. The vaccine is licensed for use in girls and women ages 9-26 years. In clinical trials Gardasil was shown to be nearly 100% effective at blocking persistent infection and disease with the “high-risk” HPV types responsible for 70% of cervical cancers (HPV 16 and 18) and the “low-risk” types (HPV 6 and 11) associated with 90% of genital warts.

GlaxoSmithKline is also expected to submit an HPV vaccine to the FDA for approval in the next few months. These vaccines, used in combination with Pap testing, can protect women against cervical cancer.

• This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added Gardasil® to the CDC's Vaccines for Children (VFC) contract, a federal program that offers free vaccines to many uninsured children. Under the contract, Merck will provide the vaccine at a 20% discount. The VFC program provides immunizations for children who are uninsured, Medicaid recipients, Native Americans, and Alaska Natives at their doctors' offices. VFC also helps children whose insurance does not cover vaccinations when they are vaccinated at participating federally-qualified health centers and rural health clinics.
  
• According to a Merck press release, health insurers covering approximately 94% of those who have private insurance have decided to reimburse for Gardasil®.
  
• Merck also reports that Gardasil® has been approved in more than 30 countries, with applications under regulatory review in more than 50 countries around the world. Partnerships are underway to accelerate availability in developing nations.
  
• The Centers for Disease Control and prevention has recently updated its online HPV brochure and poster (in English and Spanish). These materials can be accessed at www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/common-downloads.htm or from CDC's HPV homepage at www.cdc.gov/std/hpv . They are available in PDF, printer-friendly, and text-only format.
  
• The Partnership to End Cervical Cancer, a coalition of more than 30 national organizations working to ensure the inclusion of cervical cancer vaccines as part of routine preventive healthcare for adult women, was launched in September. The Partnership will focus its efforts on women 17 – 26 years – the “older women” for whom the vaccine has been approved. T he Partnership has committed to addressing major barriers to vaccination through the work of committees focusing on four areas: public education, health disparities, access and coverage, and medical guidelines and infrastructure. For more information visit www.nocervicalcancer.org