Sanofi Pasteur MSD vaccine ‘could reduce cervical cancer incidence’

Sanofi Pasteur MSD, a joint venture between Sanofi Pasteur and Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD), has announced that vaccination with Gardasil could prevent up to 91 per cent of cases of vaccine virus-type related cervical cancer in the population.

The company states that vaccinating 70 per cent of the female population with Gardasil under the age of 12 could reduce the occurrences of cervical cancer arsing as a result of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 by 78 per cent for the whole population.

Furthermore, Sanofi Pasteur MSD claims vaccination with Gardasil could prevent 78 per cent of precancerous cervical lesions and 83 per cent of genital warts resulting from infection with human papillomavirus types six, 11, 16 and 18.

“Combined with current screening and human papillomavirus disease treatment practice, vaccination with Gardasil would be cost-effective compared to other commonly accepted healthcare programmes such as screening alone or measures to prevent heart disease,” the company reports.

It adds that additional temporary vaccination of half the population of females aged 12-24 would increase disease reduction significantly while retaining cost-effectiveness.

Sanofi Pasteur MSD was founded as a joint venture in 1994 and is the only existing European company focused solely on vaccines.

The firm develops vaccines based on research from both companies to provide protection against disease for members of all age groups.