Gardasil Can Help Women Up To Age 45
17 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // November 5th, 2007 // 6:55 am
That’s what Merck is touting as the result of its latest study of the HPV vaccine, which so far is approved for girls and women ranging in age from 9 to 26 years of age. In a study of 3,800 women aged 24 to 45, the vaccine prevented 91 percent of cases of persistent infection, minor cervical abnormalities, pre-cancers and genital warts caused by four different HPV strains.
“This is the first efficacy study in this age population,” Eliav Barr, who heads the Merck HPV Vaccine program, tells Reuters. “The vaccine performed as we expected. It was highly effective.”
The company-funded study, presented at the 24th International Papillomavirus Conference in Beijing, China, found that Gardasil prevented 83 percent of infections, cervical abnormalities and pre-cancers and external genital lesions caused by the cancer-causing HPV types 16 and 18, which cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine reduced 94 percent of abnormal Pap tests caused by these HPV types, and prevented 100 percent of these problems caused by the genital wart HPV strains 6 and 11. This is the press release.
The women were followed for more than two years after the six-month vaccination period. Merck will follow them for a total of four years and use the data to seek FDA approval to sell the vaccine for women through age 45.
This comes just as Glaxo says new research showed its own Cervarix effectively induced antibodies to HPV in the cervix, which is the only place where HPV can evade the immune system and replicate - two years after vaccination. Tino Schwarz of the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, said the finding proved Cervarix provided protection where it was most needed. Cervarix was approved in Europe and Australia this year but is still awaiting FDA approval.
Lisa Van S
I’m just a bit curious,..Have they posted the study anywhere.
jason
Lisa - check out medline, it is amazing the information you can find when know where to look and understand the information. Of course you have to pay for the articles as they are published in medical journals. Just like you can’t get People magazine articles for free - you have to buy the magazine. Yes sometime they post them online for free, but that is to attract traffic so they can generate ad revenue. We know everyone hates when people advertise, but then they hate when you have to pay for content. Hard to please everyone all the time isn’t it.
Also, you seem to have made the comments to Bob first. I have no idea what he wrote back, but you were definitely looking for a response. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
For Lisa always trying to antagonize those with differing viewpoints, I am asking that Lisa Van S be banned from the internet - everywhere, all the time.
Lisa Van S
Jason,
“You seem to have made the comments to Bob first”.Clearly, you have no idea what your talking about.
“Be careful what you ask for,you just might get it”….I am assuming that’s a threat…
Thanks for the tip on Medline,if its an abstract, its not worth the money.Also, if Tax Dollars are being used to pay for this vaccine,than its only right that Merck make it Publicly available free of charge….
Reality
Lisa,
As the summary notes, the results were JUST presented at a meeting TODAY. For some studies they try to get the articles up online right immediately after the results presentation (e.g., the TRITON-TIMI study Ed posted about yesterday, in which the article was posted right after the AHA presentation). I don’t know if they’ve done that for this one.
Abstracts are always free, articles are only sometimes free. In almost all cases, the authors/company transfers the copyright to the journal, which then owns the article. With few exceptions, it’s not up to Merck or any other company to decide what’s free and what’s not — it’s up to the journals, so you should redirect your complaints to them.
Reality
Lisa,
When you say “mistakes,” are you referring to the mandatory vaccination thing?
I agree that patients should have information to make informed decisions, but with all due respect, a very, very small portion of the general public has the capacity to fully and adequately understand a journal article. Ideally, they should be partnering with their physicians to make treatment decisions.
Lisa Van S
Reality,
Thanks for the information,I appreciate it.I guess I flubbed a bit, I am more interested in seeing the clinical trial data. Hopefully GSK wont make the same mistakes Merck did.Although I had issues w/GSK, I would have to admit that they are a gentler Company than most, and have been somewhat more campassionate than others,towards the children who were harmed due to the side effects of their antidepressants.
Individuals would like to have all the Information at their fingertips, so they can make an informed decision.
jason
Lisa, no threat from me. I am not the one who went out of their way to get my personal e-mail. Also one of the creepiest things I have seen on the internet is when you claimed to know what I looked like. So no threat from me in any way - very gentle peaceful man with no time to threaten anything.
So absolutely no threat - I have no intention of getting out east. Just a general saying that “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it”. Maybe it is a midwest saying, I figured everyone had heard it and understood it.
Believe it or not, but virtually every medicine in the world has tax dollars paying for it at some point in the medicare/medicaid system. I don’t think Merck can require the gov’t to cover its meds. If it were required that they publish the data, they would. It sounds like something you should take up with a legislator, I believe you know one or two.
Medline is run by the NIH, so your tax dollars are supporting that, but please read Reality’s reason for journals and costs. If you can understand and properly dissect the content, you likely have access to it thru your hospital or group practice. If you are not a health care professional, you have to pay for it. So for the people who need it, they get the information - it has been that way for decades with no complaints. I guess you are a fan of big gov’t if you think they need to pay for the entire country to have access to every article in every journal.
If you think it is a better idea for each company not to publish in peer reviewed journals, but just post on a website - you are taking a step backward in credibility.
Lisa Van S
Ed,
Pharmalot needs to correct the time!!..
Lisa Van S
Reality,
Yes, the mandatory thing.. Like I have said before,Women and Girls should have the right to make their own decisions, and government should stay out of that process.
Lisa Van S
Jason,
I have never gone out of my way to get someone’s e-mail…Actually, someone went out of their way to provide it to me. At first I thought it was a joke,so out of curiosity I sent you an e-mail.Had you not admitted that you rcved my e-mail, I never would have known for sure it was you.
Unlike Bob,…I am not a vindictive individual, so your identity is safe with me!!!!….
Lisa Van S
Jason,
I am going to send ED,of Pharmalot some docs to forward to you, so you may have an idea, of where Im coming from
Reality
Lisa,
And as we’ve discussed ad nauseum, people have a right not to get the immunization, but it was the CDC’s own recommendation based on the overwhelmingly positive efficacy data that they receive the vaccine. Moreover, most states and schools require kids to get the the standard schedule of vaccines, hospitals require doctors and other providers have to get the Hep B vaccine. Not exactly unprecedented. That’s not to say Merck wasn’t a bit heavy-handed with this.
However, as I’ve mentioned before, much of this particular outrage was not about vaccines, but about sex. Had this been a vaccine to prevent diabetes, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
jason
You know my e-mail - at least for the box I use on the internet to collect spam and viagra enticements. Had it since Al Gore invented the internet and is absolutely unusable for day to day. Just check occasionally to see if an old college classmate has reached out. If I was worried about my identity I would have used a fake e-mail. Hell, I would even give you my license number so you could look up and see if I was ever disciplined by the state board. But really, the picture thing was CREEPY! I was completely weirded out until you had the description wrong.
Not worried about the identity as I am 2 hours away from a regional airport - someone would really have to make an effort to see me. But, I am accepting new patients….. mainly because I am the only guy in town.
Done at the hospital, so I won’t be around to respond the rest of the week - sorry to disappoint.
But FYI for antipharma/medicine people - a preview of where medicine will head in the future. I found this link on coreynahman.com. It is about how drug companies are turning away from research in humans to vet medicine - no HMO’s, no lawsuits. Easier $$$ to be made.
Big Pharma going to the dogs — and other profitable species.
http://www.nj.com/business/times/index.ssf?/base/business-3/11941492305600.xml&coll=5
Lisa Van S
Reality,
I opted to get the Hep B Prior to moving Europe, agin my choice.As far as Gardasil goes its to early to tell,Id like to follow it for awhile, But than again it hasnt been FDA approved for my age group.
Lisa Van S
Jason,
I rcve the Starledger,read it front to back.
Have a nice day now,ya hear…
TODD
Lisa - Hep B is not voluntary anymore, but great example. My son had his first shot when he was 24 hours old. Great example and thanks for proving the point that there is a reason these are mandated. Why did you move back? I think Bob and I would pitch in if it is a money issue…. wait, I know it isn’t. My bad.
Lisa Van S
JASON,
Yes I do know a Legislator or two!!..
And as I have stated before, Rep. Mike Ferguson(R,N.J)has been a champion for drug safety in children. A man, I have come to know, as a campassionate, caring, individual, who became a friend. Every other State should be so lucky.
And to Chris, Marcus & Tom,You will always be my “HEROES”. We miss you, and wish you well, and Thank You for serving NJ Dist.7 Families!!!….Hmmmmmm, On a Lighter note!.. I know you werent in it for the Money!!! Love Always Guys…Lisa