The cervical cancer vaccine named Gardasil from pharmaceutical company Merck has shown a 100% efficacy in trials and may be available for use within a year.
Gardasil is formulated to combat two strains of a virus responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. This virus is known as Human Papillomavirus or HPV.
Merck’s two-year trial involved 12,167 women aged 16 to 23 across 13 countries.
Gardasil not only targets HPV strains 16 and 18, which cause cervical cancer, but also strains 6 and 11, which lead to genital warts.
Another HPV vaccine, Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline is currently undergoing trials.
Every year, 15,000 women die from cervical cancer in Europe. However, the chances of survival are significantly higher if the disease is detected and treated early.
