Invention: Vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV)

The invention by Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou at the University of Queensland, Australia, changed preventative women’s health forever. Their progressive vaccine disrupts the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) – a sexually-transmitted virus infecting the skin and mucosal tissues – and cervical cancer.

The widely available vaccine has been used over 125 million times since market entry in 2006. Administered via injection, the vaccine not only offers full protection from “high-risk” types of human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly HPV 16 and HPV 18, but also from HPV types 6 and 11, which cause 90% of genital-wart infections.

Frazer and Zhou achieved their breakthrough by stabilising so-called virus-like-particles (VLPs). These artificial compounds build immunity against the virus by mimicking the microscopic surface structure of HPV. Thereby, the vaccine “teaches” the immune system to defeat the virus, without containing any actual viral DNA.

Societal benefit

Being able to break the connection from virus to cancer with a vaccine unlocks a powerful new approach: Instead of relying on preventative screening for cancer, or initiating treatment after patients present with symptoms, doctors are now able to stop cancer-causing HPV in its tracks. Immunization initiatives against HPV have gained traction around the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO), as well as public health officials in Australia, Canada, Europe, and the United States now recommend vaccination against HPV for young women aged 9 to 25 years old. And in order to make the invention available where it is most needed, the University of Queensland has waived royalties on sales of the vaccine in 72 developing countries, where most deaths from cervical cancer occur due to lack of preventive diagnostics.

Economic benefit

The vaccine has been marketed since 2006 by US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co under the name Gardasil . An alternative product called Cervarix uses similar technology and has been manufactured by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline since 2007. In total the vaccine is now used in 120 countries around the world and has been administered more than 125 million times worldwide. In 2013, total worldwide sales of Gardasil were estimated at € 1.49 billion (US$ 1.83 billion). Cervarix sales were about € 500 million for the year.

The success story continues: In December 2014, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the follow-up vaccine Gardasil 9. It is designed to protect against nine different strains of HPV and sales are expected to reach € 1.55 billion ($ 1.9 billion) by 2018.

Ian Frazer

Ian Frazer

Ian Frazer

Xiao Yi Sun, Ian Frazer

Ian Frazer

Ian Frazer