GlaxoSmithKline receives EU approval for new Cervarix regime

GlaxoSmithKline has announced that its cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix has been approved for use in a new dosing regimen by the European Commission.

The regulator has ratified a two-dose schedule for girls aged nine to 14, marking the first time a cervical cancer vaccine has been approved as a reduced dosing schedule. The immunogenicity and safety of this new option have been confirmed in clinical studies.

It is hoped that this decision will offer the potential for greater vaccination coverage rates and improved cervical cancer protection worldwide. The two-dose regimen has previously been approved in two other countries.

Cervarix is also approved in the EU for use a three-dose schedule for the prevention of premalignant genital lesions and cervical cancer causally related to certain oncogenic human papillomavirus types.

Thomas Breuer, senior vice-president and lead physician at GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, said: "This new dosing schedule can make vaccination easier to implement and more affordable, which in turn creates the potential for higher vaccination coverage and more girls being protected against cervical cancer."

This comes after the company's vaccine Synflorix was approved for use in immunisation against pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in children from six weeks up to five years of age earlier this month.