Datamonitor Healthcare Infectious Diseases Disease Analysis: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines

May 13, 2020

HPV is a member of the papillomavirus family, which are known for causing warts. Over 200 different types have been identified so far, and while most HPV infections are not harmful, persistent infection with certain HPV strains can cause warts and anogenital lesions, which if untreated may become cancers. HPV infection is the major cause of cervical cancers, with almost all cases (99%) being caused by HPV infection. Other cancers related to HPV include cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. Only about 14 HPV strains are considered high risk for causing cervical cancer, and of these the two most common types, HPV 16 and 18, are responsible for causing around 70% of all cervical cancers globally.

Worldwide vaccination programs for HPV have evolved substantially over the last decade. There are currently three approved vaccines for HPV: Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil 9. Merck & Co’s Gardasil, a quadrivalent vaccine, was first-to-market with its debut in 2006, narrowly ahead of the 2007 release of GlaxoSmithKline’s rival bivalent vaccine, Cervarix. Both vaccines are based on the recombinant expression of major capsid antigen L1 from different HPV serotypes, which self-assemble into virus-like particles. In 2014, Gardasil 9, a nine-valent vaccine capable of protecting from an additional 20% of HPV-related cancers, superseded Gardasil.

This Datamonitor Healthcare report contains a Disease Analysis module.

Indications Covered:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) Prevention (Antiviral, Vaccines)