Healthcare Industry News: Cervarix
News Release - June 29, 2006
GlaxoSmithKline Applauds ACIP for New Guidance on Use of HPV Vaccine to Protect Girls and Women Against Cervical Cancer
ATLANTA, June 29 (HSMN NewsFeed) -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) today congratulates the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an advisory body to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for providing guidance to the healthcare community regarding the use of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect girls and women in the United States against cervical cancer."These recommendations represent an important step forward both for girls and women, the physicians who care for them and the overall public health," said Margaret Rennels, MD, Executive Director, Medical Policy, GSK. "We look forward to filing a biologics license application for our cervical cancer vaccine candidate, Cervarix(TM), later this year. Ultimately, protecting women against cervical cancer through vaccination will require collaboration among many -- the public health, medical and consumer communities -- and GSK looks forward to being a part of the solution."
GSK, one of the world's leading vaccine manufacturers, is proud of its longstanding commitment to providing vaccines to all patients who need them, including those in the developing world. In 2004, the company distributed approximately 90 percent of its vaccine doses to the developing world, often at preferential prices. Over the past 18 months, GSK also has taken important steps to increase its ability to supply all markets with innovative vaccines. In addition, GSK has made significant advances in developing new technologies to improve the duration of protection of its vaccines, including the development of new adjuvant systems.
"Vaccines represent the greatest public health tool we have in preventing disease," said Rennels. "GSK remains committed to bringing innovative new vaccines, like Cervarix, to the women who will most benefit."
About HPV and cervical cancer
HPV infection is very common; every sexually active woman is at risk of contracting a type of HPV, which may cause cervical cancer. While there are many different types of HPV that may cause cancer, HPV 16,18, 45 and 31 account for more than 80 percent of all cervical cancers globally. Cervical cancer is a major global health problem, with nearly 500,000 new cases occurring each year worldwide. It is the second most common cancer -- and the third leading cause of cancer deaths -- in women worldwide. Each year an estimated 270,000 women die from the disease, and it is the leading cancer killer of women in the developing world(1).
About GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
In the next five years, GSK expects to launch more major new vaccines: a vaccine against rotavirus, a vaccine to prevent pneumococcal disease, an improved flu vaccine for the elderly and a meningitis combination vaccine for infants.
GSK -- one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
GSK is one of the world's leading vaccine manufacturers, with operations in Rixensart, Belgium, where the majority of GSK's activities in the field of vaccine research, development and production are conducted. GSK employs more than 1,500 scientists devoted to discovering new vaccines and developing more cost-effective and convenient combination products to prevent infections that cause serious medical problems worldwide.
In 2005, GSK distributed more than 1.2 billion doses of vaccines to 165 countries in both the developed and the developing world, an average of more than three million doses per day. For company information please visit http://www.gsk.com.
References:
(1) Ferlay J, Bray P, Pizani P, Parkin DM. Cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide. Available at: GLOBOCAN 2002. Accessed September 20, 2005
Source: GlaxoSmithKline
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