MedImmune Starts HPV Vaccine Trials

MedImmune has started enrollment into a Phase I trial of a vaccine forthe prevention of human papillomavirus-associated diseases of the genital tract. MedImmune claims that this is the first example of a vaccine to prevent HPV disease entering clinical development.

Other HPV vaccines, most notably Cantab's TA-GW (Marketletter December 9, 1996), are being developed in the first instance for the treatment of various forms of HPV infection, although prevention trials are planned for the future.

MedImmune's vaccine candidate, called MEDI-501, consists of the HPV-11 L1 capsid protein which self-assembles into non-infectious virus-like particles. Patient enrollment in the placebo-controlled, dose-escalating trial has already begun and results are expected within about 12 months.