New Merck vaccine - prevention against cervical cancer

Cervical cancer kills about 300,000 women per year. study included more than 12,000 women from 13 countries, aged 16 to 26, who were not infected with either of the virus types at the beginning of trial. Half the women in the Phase III trial received three doses of Gardasil over a six-month period, while the other women obtained placebos. The women were then followed for an average of 17 months. Gardasil was 100 percent effective in preventing precancerous lesions and early-stage cancers. On the other hand, there were 21 cases among the group taking placebos. Merck licensed the vaccine technology from Australian blood products and vaccine developer CSL Ltd.