HPV

Acclaimed scientist preps first skin cancer vax trial

John Carroll — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:35:03 -0500

Australia's Ian Frazer has been using his knowledge of human papilloma virus to create an experimental jab to prevent skin cancer. And now he says he's ready to launch the first human trial of a new vaccine that has already proven effective in preventing skin cancer in animals.

In the study, researchers will vaccinate girls aged 10 to 12 and track its effectiveness in preventing skin cancer as they age. Sunny Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with 1,600 people dying from the cancer each year. As with the HOV vaccine Gardasil, the vaccine targets the papilloma virus, which spurs abnormal cells to turn cancerous.

"My entire career has been focused on understanding the interaction between papillomavirus and the cancers they affect,'' Prof Frazer told the Daily Telegraph. "We know it causes at least five per cent of all cancers globally so one in 20 of the cancers that people get is caused by papilloma virus. It's a huge issue.''

- read the report from the Daily Telegraph

HPV researcher calls for vaccination of males

Calisha Myers — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:04:14 -0500

Discussion of the benefits of vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) almost always centers around women, especially young women, who are at greater risk of developing cervical cancer. Speaking at an event in Canada late last month, the Nobel Prize winning pioneer of HPV research, Dr. Harald sur Hausen, called for the vaccination of men as well. As in women, the more dangerous strains of the virus, HPV-16 and HPV-18, can contribute to the development of anal and penile cancer.

Studies by the CDC indicate that homosexual men are at an even higher risk than heterosexual men; gay and bisexual men may be up to 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer.

The HPV vaccine Gardasil is not yet approved for men, but the manufacturer, Merck, is currently conducting clinical trials to determine the effectiveness of Gardasil in males. Merck spokeswoman Sheila Murphy says she is hopeful that preliminary data for the study will be available soon. "There is going to be a [peer reviewed] meeting in Europe in November, and I was hoping there would be some data presented there, and I still haven't heard whether that is going to be the case or not," Murphy tells Canada's Xtra.

But, Murphy said, it may be another two years before there is a vaccine for men on the market. Although some countries have allowed boys to be given Gardasil based on initial studies, others, such as Canada, have asked for efficacy studies. "In Canada... they want us to do the efficacy studies, to show in fact that the vaccine, not only does it cause an immune response recognition, but it actually prevents a disease," she said.

- check out Xtra article for more

What's stopping girls from getting the HPV jab?

John Carroll — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:02:33 -0400

The controversial HPV vaccine has been making only slow progress in the U.S. Despite the fact that half of all girls are exposed to the virus--and 4,000 die each year from the cancer that it triggers--only about twenty percent of the target population has been vaccinated.

There's been an intense debate over parents' reluctance to pay the $360 cost, concerns related to providing a vaccine that is associated with sexual activity on the part of their daughters and fear that the new vaccine could present unexpected side effects. Slate covered the pros and cons in an article that also underscored that new studies continue to report that the vaccine is safe.

- read the report from the Wall Street Journal

ALSO: Officials in New Zealand say that allergic reactions to the HPV vaccine have been very rare. Report

SPOTLIGHT: Researchers probe attitudes to HPV vaccine

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:59:52 -0400

Researchers have found that the younger a girl is, the less likely it is that her mother is prepared to arrange a vaccination against HPV. But the researchers note that the girls would benefit most from a vaccine delivered at an early age. Release