GlaxoSmithKline To Reduce Price Of HPV Vaccine Cervarix In South Africa

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 05 Dec 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday announced it will reduce the cost of its human papillomavirus vaccine Cervarix in South Africa, SAPA/Independent Online reports. GSK will reduce the price of the vaccine from 700 South African rand per dose, or about $67, to 450 rand per dose, or about $43.

Cervarix protects against two strains of HPV that cause cervical cancer and is one of two HPV vaccines available in South Africa. The other is Merck's Gardasil, which costs 770 rand, or about $73, per dose, SAPA/Independent Online reports. David Pritchard, general manager for GSK in South Africa, said that "affordability is an important issue" in developing countries. Martha Molete of the Cancer Association of South Africa welcomed the price reduction, saying Cervarix is "not accessible to most of the population." She added that the group "encourage[s]" GSK to "drop the price even further." Molete said that young girls between ages 10 and 12 should receive the vaccine and that young boys also should be given the vaccine because even though they cannot develop cervical cancer, they could be passive HPV carriers and spread the disease to others.

According to SAPA/Independent Online, cervical cancer is the most common cancer among South African women, and one in 31 women in the country will be diagnosed with the disease in her lifetime. About 6,700 new cervical cancer cases are reported annually in the country, SAPA/Independent Online reports (SAPA/Independent Online, 12/3).

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