In Europe, cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, with around 33,500 women diagnosed annually, and some 15,000 deaths. In the U.S., about 14,000 are diagnosed each year, leading to approximately 3,900 deaths. The human pappillomavirus, or HPV, is believed responsible for the overwhelming majority of these cancers.

Two new vaccines are now available that might be able to stem the course of this deadly killer -- Gardasil from Merck and Cervarix from GlaxoSmithKline. Some countries and U.S. states are already making publicly-funded HPV vaccinations available for teenage girls.

For these two pharmaceutical companies, this is good news for the bottom line as well as for public health. Sales of Gardasil in Europe were €81 million in the first six months of 2007, slightly ahead of expectations. Morgan Stanley believes that peak sales of Gardasil could exceed US$2 billion and are of the opinion that it could be the largest selling vaccine ever. Merrill Lynch is even more optimistic, seeing sales surpassing the US$4.5 billion mark. Cervarix, meanwhile, is seen by many analysts as GSK's biggest near-term pipeline opportunity, with sales possibly surpassing US$2.5 billion.

But its use faces challenges. Although teenagers and adults took part in the trials, in practice the vaccine is likely to be administered to girls as young as 9-13. Some critics have argued that treating young girls with the vaccine might encourage under-age sex. There are also issues of sufficient reimbursement from governments and insurance companies.

Dr. Nora McCarthy, executive editor of IMS Company Profiles, takes a closer look in the article, “Cervical Cancer – No Longer a Natural Born Killer?"  Also, don’t miss the link to Part II on cervical cancer vaccines in the developing world.