GSK, Sanofi lobby Irish for HPV shots

Tracy Staton — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:51:52 -0500

Drugmakers are dispatching experts to the Emerald Isle to lobby for their human papillomavirus vaccines. That's because the Irish government has opted out of a comprehensive program to vaccinate young women against HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Instead, Ireland plans a screening program for cervical cancer in hopes of catching the disease early--and saving money in the process.

GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the Cervarix HPV shot, and Sanofi Pasteur, which markets Merck's Gardasil in Europe, say screening isn't enough. They're sending cervical cancer experts to speak to consultants and healthcare types about the benefits of vaccination. For instance, Sanofi dispatched Margaret Stanley of Cambridge University last week, and GSK is hoping to get Dr. Anne Szarewski, a clinical consultant at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, in front of Ireland's health minister later this week.

A spokesperson for Minister Mary Harney told the London Times that an HPV vaccine program would play a role in Ireland's overall response to cervical cancer, but that vaccinating all young women isn't practical right now. "The decision not to proceed... is not based on the scientific evidence," the spokesperson said, "but is related to the need to prioritize scarce resources given the current state of the public finances."

But GSK takes issue with the Minister's cost estimates for a vaccine program, too. Claire Taaffe, a GSK spokeswoman, told the Times that the company thinks the cost would be lower than the 10 million euros government is quoting. Competitive bidding would cut that cost considerably, she said.

- read the story in The Times

It's Merck v. Glaxo in vaccine battle

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Call it the battle of the HPV vaccines. For the past week, either Merck's Gardasil or GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix--or both--have captured headlines:

• Glaxo submits Cervarix for approval in Japan
• Merck donates millions of Gardasil doses for use in developing countries
• Glaxo applies for vaccine prequalification from the WHO
• Gardasil wins best new biotech product
• Cervarix approved for sale in Europe
• Merck hires PR firm to advocate for Gardasil
• Sanofi Pasteur files to extend Gardasil treatment

It's no mystery why the drug makers are jostling for ascendancy here. Estimates of the market for these vaccines run to several billions, even if their use was restricted to prevention of cervical cancer.

Now there's evidence that Gardasil may protect against cancers of the vagina and vulva, further bolstering its usefulness for women. Other research shows that HPV may cause throat and neck cancer in men, thus boys may need one of the vaccines, too--creating a whole new, unexpected market. So the stakes are even higher than they first seemed. And they were pretty darn high to start with.

- see GSK's release on WHO prequalification and the release on it's Japan app.
- check out Merck's press release on the Prix Galien
- read the article from PR Week
- see this Medical Marketing & Media article

Related Articles:
GSK prepares to go head-to-head with Merck. Report
Merck's Gardasil OK'd for pricey rollout. Report
Cervarix more effective in girls aged 10-14. Report
GSK stakes claim to ASCO spotlight. Report

cancer vaccine

GSK, Sanofi lobby Irish for HPV shots

It's Merck v. Glaxo in vaccine battle