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FDA considers expanded use of HPV vaccine


Published: March 20, 2008 at 12:31 PM
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WASHINGTON, March 20 (UPI) -- Pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck & Co. Inc. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider expanding the use of its cervical cancer vaccine.

Merck said the FDA has agreed to conduct a priority review of Merck's application to expand the current approved usage of Gardasil -- a vaccine used to prevent infection by the human papillomavirus, or HPV -- from children and women ages 9-26 to women ages 27 through 45.

The pharmaceutical company said Gardasil is used to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous or dysplastic lesions and genital warts caused by HPV.

Gardasil, sold in some countries as Silgard, has been approved in 100 nations, including the United States, the European Union, Mexico, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand and Brazil, Merck said.

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CYCLONE MYANMUR
In this image from NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument on NASA's Aqua spacecraft, Cyclone Nargis is pictured when it was a Category one hurricane located 370 miles west of Yangon, Myanmar on May 1, 2008. Tropical Cyclone Nargis flooded the region on May 4, 2008. The death toll from the cyclone and its aftermath is feared to hit or exceed 100,000 lives. (UPI Photo/NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team)
NASA satellite images show Tropical Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar
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