FDA Panel Endorses Cervical Cancer Vaccine

Pharmecutical giant Merck has won a key endorsement of its cervical cancer vaccine by an FDA Advisry committiee. The vaccine which would prevent up to 70% of cervical cancers and up to 90% of genital warts. The key seems to be early vaccination as the drug does not seem to work as well if someone already has one or more of the viruses that cause cervical cancer or warts. The drug is not intended to replace routine screening in women however and continued check ups would reamain in place.

WASHINGTON - A drug company hopes to win federal approval early next month for a novel cervical cancer vaccine that it touts as the next biggest thing since the pap test in fighting the No. 2 cancer in women.

Merck & Co. already has won a key endorsement of the vaccine, called Gardasil, from a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee. A final decision by the FDA is expected by June 8.

The vaccine, administered in three shots over six months at a cost of $300 to $500, protects against the two types of human papillomavirus (HPV) believed responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.

news.yahoo.com...

There is also another important feature to this vaccine, one which I witnessed today and was unaware of, personally. I am doing my last rotation, internal medicine, right now. The vaccine, made specifically for the human papillomavirus (HPV), affects species 14 and 18, both oncogenic, as well as 24 ( I believe it's 24), which is NOT oncogenic, but analurogenitical warts in homosexual men. This vaccine can also be used on these men to prevent such warts, even after they have become sexually active. Our university is participating in a small government sponsered test run of the vaccine, and this is one area of study which has proven quite interesting and effective. Anyways, just thought I would add that, as no news agencies seem to be covering it quite yet.

MFP

It would be great if it were true. I'm just not that impressed with the drug company's recent "potions."

I hope it is true, and it is a safe therapy.

Troy

Originally posted by cybertroy
It would be great if it were true. I'm just not that impressed with the drug company's recent "potions."

I hope it is true, and it is a safe therapy.

Troy

Well, I've seen results first hand and I can tell you that so far, the short term results are good.

What is being done to lower the price of the Vaccine? I hear it's like 400 buck a dose or something extremly high like that.

Originally posted by sardion2000
What is being done to lower the price of the Vaccine? I hear it's like 400 buck a dose or something extremly high like that.

From what I've heard, and this may just be a rumour going around, the patent hasn't been granted on the vaccine yet, and a generic is in the works.

Again, this could just be heresay, I haven't looked into it yet.

MFP

Funny how we begin to get conditioned for certain things.

Last night I saw a commercial for cervical cancer, about how it's caused by a virus and how many more people have it than you think. To quote one actress in the commercial: "Millions of Americans have it. MILLIONS."

Right at the end, you can catch the Merck logo just before the commercial fades away.

Looks to me like they're preparing to make a lot of money with this vaccine.

Originally posted by LogDog
Funny how we begin to get conditioned for certain things.

Last night I saw a commercial for cervical cancer, about how it's caused by a virus and how many more people have it than you think. To quote one actress in the commercial: "Millions of Americans have it. MILLIONS."

Right at the end, you can catch the Merck logo just before the commercial fades away.

Looks to me like they're preparing to make a lot of money with this vaccine.

Can you please tell me what commercial is? I think you're exaggerating/lieing just to get a rise of of people. About 10,000 American women are diagnosed with it annually. I have a hard time believing a company would open themselves up to false advertising law suits by stating millions are diagnosed with it. Perhaps in the world, yes. In just USA, definitely not.

Either you're exaggerating, or you heard USA when the commercial said worldwide.

Also, Merck isn't the only one developing a vaccine. Glaxo and a few independant labs are also working on a version. The independants are the ones making the generic we're studying at my hospital.

MFP

You are right, I may have heard USA when they said world. I'm trying to see it again to see if I did that. I do remember it specifically emphasizing the word "Millions," however.

I've been trying to find it on adcritic.com and the usual commerical websites, but no luck yet.

I found it coincidental that I found this thread a couple of days ago then yesterday saw this somewhat-vauge commercial about cervical cancer. It made no mention of the vaccine or anything. I told my wife, "Wait, I think I know where they're going with this." Then the Merck logo flashed at the end and I was like, "Aha!"

I can understand why you'd think I was lying, my apologies for framing my post that way. I sincerely thought they said America and remember thinking, "Wow, that's a lot."

A lot of people have HPV. Millions worldwide seems like a grosse underestimation, infact millions in the USA alone seems to be more realistic. Most people's immune systems flush out the disease after a year or so(so my doctor said anyway when I asked her about this vaccine and the Virii it's supposed to protect against). Millions may have it but only thousands show symptoms I believe is what she said IIRC.

This is where we encounter into wordplay, Sardion. You're right, millions DO have an antigenic response to HPV, meaning they either currently have it in their system or have recently encountered it. However, cervical cancer the worst case scenario for an HPV patient, only shows up in about 10,000 women in the USA every year.

Still, you are right regarding the millions having HPV, but not cervical cancer. This vaccine is being touted as a cervical cancer vaccine, but perhaps it would be more accurate to call it the HPV vaccine, as it vaccinates against the virus, not a condition. Good catch.

MFP

HPV was probally lab created, as weel as HIV. I suspect the intent or design of HPV was to stealthly destroy/infect the reproductive systems or contaminate to the point of need for removal (sterilization) to produce sterile slaves & curve population growth, non the less HIV, HPV & the questionable related & associated hpv vaccines, are proablly lab engineered with R&D funded by Planned Parenthood!
Hence: there working according to plan....controlling population through bio-eugenics!
Cervic Cancer hysterectomys seem to be on a rise around my parts!
Slowy carving away at american population growth.....