THE Bureau of Food and Drugs has approved a vaccine to combat the virus that causes cervical cancer and related diseases, an official of the company that distributes the drug said Wednesday.
The vaccine, Gardasil, is designed to prevent diseases caused by four strains of the human papillomavirus -- HPV 6, 11, 16 and 18 -- with HPV 16 and 18 accounting for about 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, said Dr. Cesar Recto II, medical director for Merck Sharp & Dohme.
The vaccine also prevents genital warts and low-grade cervical lesions in girls and women ages 9 to 26, Recto said, adding that an ongoing study is aimed at expanding the coverage of the vaccine to benefit "mid-adult" women.
The Philippine Cancer Society says 7,277 cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2005, when 3,807 deaths were recorded from the disease.
In June, the U.S. government approved Gardasil, which needs to be administered over a six-month period, costing US$360 per course of treatment.
A spokeswoman for Merck Sharp & Dohme said the vaccine will be available in the Philippines for about P15,000 (US$306) but will be dispensed only by doctors and will not be available over the counter.
US-based drug company Merck & Co., which developed the vaccine, is known as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the US.
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