GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has launched cervical cancer vaccine, Cerverix, in India. The vaccine, which is proved to be effective and safe without any alarming side effects, is targeted towards the 132000 Indian women diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer. GSK is in talks with the government to make HPV vaccine easily accessible in India. At present, only two HPV vaccines are available in the market - GSK's Cerverix and Merck's Gardasil.

Cerverix is available in India for Rs 3300 per dose. The vaccine has to be taken thrice between the age of 10 to 45 years. The duration between the dosages is two months after the first dosage and six months after the second dose. Dr Shailesh Mehta, medical director, Clinical R&D, GSK said, "The prices of the vaccine may be costlier at the initial stage but the prices will come down once the marketing of the vaccine improves. In India, the market will improve once the awareness about the cancer and the importance of vaccination for it is understood. We are in discussions with government to make vaccines accessible."

Cervical cancer ranks no. 1 among cancers in women followed by breast cancer and is no. 1 among women between 15 and 44 years of age. One out of four women die due to cervical cancer in the world is an Indian. Providing statistics of the cancer in India, consultant paediatrician and haematologist Dr Nitin Shah said, "Ever year, 135000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in India which is one fourth of the cases registered globally. Around 74000 cervical cancer patients die every year. In India, we have a very poor healthcare system. People don't really have their health check ups done regularly. They go to a doctor only when they notice serious problems in their health. Therefore till the time they go to the doctor with serious symptoms of disease, it's too late and so the cumulative risk of mortality is 1.4 per cent."

The vaccine has been successful in around 100 other countries. Professor Dr Tino Schwarz, head of Central Laboratory and Vaccination Centre explained about the global scenario of the cancer. "Annually, 270,000 women die of cervical cancer around the world, which equates to one every two minutes. There are currently over 1.4 million women diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide. Globally, 500000 cases are reported in women each year. So, there could be over one million new cases each year by 2050."

Every sexually active woman is at risk of an infection from a cancer-causing human papillomavirus type throughout her lifetime. Also present at the occasion, Dr C N Purandare, president of The Federation of Obstetric & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) pointed out, "In India, government does not have proper screening programme for HPV. We tried to push up the issue but presently government has lots of other priorities, so cancer is not felt as the priority right now. But it will be too late if it is not controlled at this stage."