GSK's sees strong efficacy across wide age group

Europe's largest drugmaker, UK-based GlaxoSmithKline, says that data presented at the 2006 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, show that its candidate cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix, is "highly-immunogenic and well-tolerated."

The findings from a clinical trial examining women aged 26-55 add to the growing body of evidence supporting Cervarix' ability to provide a sustained immune response in women of all ages. In this Phase III study, 100% of women across all studied age groups demonstrated antibody response one month after completion of the vaccination course against human papiloma virus types 16 and 18, the two most common cancer-causing forms of HPV.

The broad age group effectiveness that Cervarix has demonstrated could provide a competitive edge over its rival product, Merck & Co's Gardasil (quadrivalent human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16, 18, recombinant vaccine), which the US drug major has mainly tested in women aged 26 years and younger - a restricted patient population that is likely to be reflected in Gardasil's label once the US Food and Drug Administraion approves it later this year.