Drug debuts will help millions

By Wang Xiaodong

Last year saw good news for millions of women, thanks to the debuts of vaccines that can prevent cervical cancer, a major disease among women in China, on the mainland. However, the drugs appeared much later than anticipated, having been available in the United States since 2006.

"The significance of these vaccines is that cervical cancer is the only form of the disease that is preventable through vaccination," said Qiao Youlin, a leading epidemiologist at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, who has advocated the use of the vaccines for the past 10 years. "They are a great achievement in the history of scientific and technological development."

Every year, about 100,000 women in China are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and it is responsible for 30,000 deaths annually. Moreover, the incidence of the disease is rising at an alarming rate, Qiao added.

The China Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Cervarix in the Chinese mainland in 2016, and it was introduced in July.

The drug, developed by Britain's GlaxoSmithKline to combat human papillomavirus, a viral infection that is passed between people through sexual contact and is a major cause of cervical cancer, can prevent two strains of the disease.

Meanwhile, Gardasil, an HPV vaccine developed by the US drug manufacturer Merck that is effective against four strains of the disease, was launched in the domestic market in November.

Cervarix is designed for use by females ages 9 to 25, while Gardasil is aimed at women ages 20 to 45, according to Qiao.

Many drugs developed overseas, including these vaccines, are subject to lengthy trial and inspection procedures before the administration makes a decision on their use. The process can often take years.

However, the vaccines have not been included in the government's immunization program so they are expensive. "For example, one shot of Cervarix costs 600 to 700 yuan ($92 to $107)," Qiao said.

"That's too expensive for low-and middle-income earners, so only the wealthy can afford them. Vaccines should be free because the cancer will continue to spread if only a few people can be vaccinated.

The World Health Organization recommends new policies to cover the cost of cervical cancer vaccines, so it can be effectively controlled and prevented."