From innovation to application
GlaxoSmithKline launches Cervarix
By Carisa Paraz, MD, Contributing Writer
Globally, cervical cancer kills one woman every two minutes. In the Asia-Pacific region, 268,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, leading to almost 400 deaths every day. Oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) types have been found in as many as three out of every four HPV infections. As much as 70 percent of cervical-cancer cases are caused by the "high-risk" HPV types 16 and 18.
Recognizing the need to fight this killer of women, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) launched in the Philippines its cervical-cancer vaccine, Cervarix, by holding a scientific forum entitled Cervarix: From Innovation to Application. In this forum, which drew delegates from around the world, international experts discussed the burden of the dreaded disease in the Asia Pacific, as well as the impact of vaccination in reducing the disease's incidence.
Oncogenic HPV infection is highest in women below 25 years; hence, the need to vaccinate preadolescents, adolescents, and young adults. However, data show that Cervarix is also beneficial for older women. Dr. Hugues Bogaerts of GSK Biologicals said: "There is 100-percent response to both 16 and 18 up to the age of 55. For those of you who are familiar with, for example, hepatitis-B vaccine, which we are convinced is a very good vaccine, you may know that 100-percent response after the age of 35, 40 doesn't exist … so having 100-percent response up to the age of 55 is already quite unique."
Meanwhile, Dr. Diane Harper, a professor at Dartmouth Medical School in the United States, pointed out that vaccinating women up to the age of 55 is the fastest way of reducing the cervical-cancer burden by half. While it is true that the bulk of oncogenic HPV infection is in the preadolescent-to-young-adult age group, it would take about 35 years of vaccinating 12-year-olds before the incidence is halved. In addition, the cervical-cancer burden will be halved in 25 years of vaccinating 12- to 25-year-olds. These numbers are in stark contrast to the 10 years it would take to halve the burden if all women up to 55 years were vaccinated.
She explained: "I think that it's extraordinarily important to realize that all ages of these women are important to vaccinate, but if you want to see a return in the natural-disease reduction more quickly, we really need to emphasize adding in the women over the age of 12."
Harper added that females who will be vaccinated against HPV do not even have to undergo pretesting for any HPV infection. Studies conducted in the United States show that the sum of HPV 16 and 18 infections at any given time is less than 2.8 percent. As long as women are not infected with HPV 16 or 18 at the time of their first vaccination, they will receive 100-percent efficacy of protection. Even women who are positive for either 16 or 18 will be protected against the other type of HPV. Besides, Cervarix also affords cross-protection against other oncogenic HPV types 31 and 45.
Still, Harper stressed that "vaccination does not replace cancer screening." Although the vaccine protects against several oncogenic types, there are still 11 other high-risk HPV types that could cause cervical cancer. Thereforem vaccination and pap smears should go hand-in-hand in bringing down the number of cervical-cancer cases.
Other speakers who shared their expertise at the forum were Dr. Claudius Meyer (University Hospital Mainz, Germany), Professor Chao-Hsuin Tang (Taipei Medical University, Taiwan), Dr. Andi Darma Putra [SpOG (K), FKUI-RSCM, Indonesia], Professor Sun Kuie Tay (Singapore General Hospital, Singapore) and Dr. Jeffrey Tan (Royal Women's Hospital, Australia). Reactors from the lay sector included Senator Loren Legarda and singer Joey Albert, who fought and won the battle against cervical cancer 10 years ago.
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