E-mail us: service@prospectnews.com Or call: 212 374 2800
Bank Loans - CLOs - Convertibles - Distressed Debt - Emerging Markets
Green Finance - High Yield - Investment Grade - Liability Management
Preferreds - Private Placements - Structured Products
 
Published on 6/8/2006 in the Prospect News Biotech Daily.

Merck's cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil approved by FDA

By Elaine Rigoli

Tampa, Fla., June 8 - The Food and Drug Administration has approved Merck & Co., Inc.'s Gardasil for the prevention of cervical cancer, cervical pre-cancers, vulvar pre-cancers and vaginal pre-cancers caused by HPV types 16 and 18.

In clinical studies, Gardasil prevented 100% of HPV 16- and 18 -related cervical cancer in women not previously exposed to the relevant HPV types.

Gardasil is also approved for the prevention of genital warts and low-grade cervical lesions caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18.

Gardasil is approved for girls and women aged nine to 26 years old.

In the United States, about 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, and an average of 10 women die each day from the disease, the company noted in a news release.

"Gardasil is a major health breakthrough - the first vaccine specifically designed to prevent cancer - and is approved to prevent not only cervical cancer but also genital warts," said Kevin Ault, a clinical study investigator.

"Use of Gardasil can help significantly reduce the human and economic burden of cervical cancer, precancerous or low-grade lesions and genital warts caused by HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 in the United States, and the rest of the world, in this generation and future generations," he added.

Merck is a global pharmaceutical company located in Whitehouse Station, N.J.


© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.