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Scientists have created a new vaccine against cervical cancer
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from Australia have created a new vaccine against cervical cancer, the development of which is caused by the presence of the human papillomavirus infection. As reported by the local division of the Associated Press, the development of the drug, released by the biotech company Coridon, was led by Ian Frazer.
Currently, the vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix, produced by pharmaceutical companies Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, respectively, are used to prevent cervical cancer that develops against the background of infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The difference between the drug created by Fraser and his colleagues is that it not only protects against HPV infection, but also stimulates the immune response to an infection already present in the body. The effectiveness of the vaccination was confirmed by the results of preclinical studies on animals. Currently, the developers are preparing to conduct clinical trials involving patients.
Fraser said many women already carry HPV, so they cannot reduce their risk of cervical cancer by using Gardasil or Cervarix. He also suggested that the mechanism of action of the new drug could be used to create a vaccine against herpes virus infection.
Oncogenic HPV strains cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, as well as about 60 percent of mouth and throat cancer cases. However, in most cases, the infection goes away over time without any treatment. For the discovery of the role of papillomaviruses in the development of cervical cancer, German scientist Harald zur Hausen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2008.
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