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Medical Groups Push for Cervical Cancer Vaccine in Developing Countries

By next year already, two new vaccines against cervical cancer will hit the market. Medical groups, however, are pushing to include third world developing countries on the list to receive these vaccines and are negotiating with the drug companies on the matter. While Merck & Co and GlaxoSmithKline Plc are willing to negotiate a deal that will cut prices, they are unwilling to provide the vaccines for below cost.

Cervical cancer is a huge problem in developing countries. Almost 250,000 women die from this deadly disease each year ? 80% of them from underdeveloped regions in the world. Lack of screening and treatment programs mean that up to 95% of women in Third World countries never have a cervical smear in their lives. From prior experience with other drugs, it is well known that it takes between 15 and 20 years for a new drug or vaccine to reach these countries and this is what international medical organizations are trying to avoid in the case of Gardasil and Cervarix.

The major question remains as to how the vaccination effort to developing countries will be financed. Each vaccine costs a whopping $120 ? a small fortune in some areas of the world. Organizations are getting together to try to negotiate a deal with the drug manufacturers whereby these companies still make a profit while providing the drugs at a reduced price.