MSD releases new Gardasil data

Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) has released new data on its cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil which shows that it reduces incidence of human papilloma virus (HPV) 6,11,16 and 18-related persistent infection and disease in women through age 45.

The results were presented at the 24th International Papillomavirus Conference in Beijing China this week.

It was found that Gardasil (human papillomavirus quadrivalent) prevented 91 per cent of cases of persistent infection, low-grade cervical abnormalities pre-cancers and external genital lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 in women from ages 24 to 45.

Women who were free of infection from at least one vaccine HPV type and remained free of infection from the relevant HPV type throughout the study were administered a three-dose vaccination regimen.

Eliav Barr, head of the HPV Vaccine Programme at Merck Research Laboratories, outlined how women remained at significant risk in acquiring HPV infections throughout their lifetime.

“This data builds on the clinical program for Gardasil and will help us to understand the potential benefit that Gardasil may have in women through age 45.”

MSD will now submit this data to the US Food and Drug Administration to before the end of the year to apply for an indication for women from ages 24 to 45.

Last month, MSD announced that it was to donate at least three million doses of its cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil to support vaccination programmes in the world’s lowest income countries.