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Vaccine Could Eliminate 80% of Cervical Cancers


Posted on 2006-10-30 11:57:00



Mathematical model projections predict that vaccinating all 11-13 year old girls with Cervarix, GSK's cervical cancer candidate vaccine, has the potential to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by up to 80%, based on available clinical data. The projections model was constructed in two stages. In the first, vaccination with GSK's cervical cancer candidate vaccine -- which has shown excellent protection against the two most cancer-causing HPV types, 16 and 18-- accounted for a projected 74% reduction of cervical cancer in France. This constituted the base-case analysis of this model.

In a further analysis, the model incorporated preliminary evidence that GSK's cervical cancer candidate vaccine has been shown to provide substantial protection against pre-cancerous lesions beyond that expected from HPV vaccine-types 16 and 18. When this additional protection is added to the model, a further 6% reduction is predicted, making a total reduction of 80% of cervical cancers. These findings were presented today at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research 9th Annual European Congress (ISPOR) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Further data presented at ISPOR underscore not only the major health burden that cervical cancer represents for all women, but also the substantial cost for society, particularly considering the costs of the organisation and implementation of screening against cervical cancer. Indeed, the data presented at ISPOR suggest that vaccination will reduce cervical cancer specific mortality, the number of cervical cancer cases, pre-clinical cancer cases, as well as their related costs.

"The potential to reduce cervical cancer cases and mortality by up to 80 per cent, as suggested by the outcome of the model is very encouraging," noted Prof. Lieven Annemans, the former president of ISPOR. "Vaccination that provides the broadest possible protection against cancer-causing HPV types is a desirable strategy to reduce the significant health burden of cervical cancer. In doing so, we can save lives of women as well as expect to save our healthcare systems the associated high costs of intervention," he said.

The mathematical model presented at ISPOR adds to the growing body of collected analyses -- which have demonstrated similar cervical cancer case reduction figures projected using GSK's cervical cancer candidate vaccine -- including those for Spain, the UK and the USA.


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