Cervical cancer vaccine

Potential cervical cancer vaccine. An experimental human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine developed by Merck & Co. has been effective in limiting contraction of HPV-16 and preventing the development of precancerous cervical lesions in 755 young women four years after vaccination. Although Merck does not plan to bring this particular vaccine to market, it is currently conducting the final clinical trials of a vaccine meant to protect against HPV-16 and HPV-18--together responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases--along with HPV-6 and HPV-11, which cause most cases of genital warts. Merck plans to apply for FDA approval of the new vaccine version in 2005. GlaxoSmithKline also announced that it has accelerated its timeline for obtaining FDA approval of its own HPV vaccine.