Posted on 06/23/2006 7:21:19 AM PDT by veronica
An Israeli-born doctor stands at the head of team from pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. who announced this week the FDA approval of the first vaccine to prevent cervical cancer
Senior director of Clinical Research, Merck Research Laboratories Dr. Eliav Barr, originally from Haifa, said about bout the genetically engineered vaccine Gardasil, "This is the first time we have been able to state that administration of the vaccine is going to have an effect on cervical cancer."
In the United States, almost 10,000 women develop cervical cancer each year, leading to 3,000 deaths. In the developing world, the problem is far worse, probably because women are less likely to get screenings that can catch unusual growths before they become cancerous. Worldwide, cervical cancer kills 300,000 women a year.
Almost all the cases of cervical cancer are caused by infection with the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes normal cells to multiply out of control. Some strains of HPV lead to cancer (two strains account for 70% of cervical cancers), and others cause genital warts.
Because cervical cancer does not occur in women who have not contracted HPV, Merck, under Barr's guidance, has developed what is essentially the world's first cancer vaccine.
Public health experts called the Gardasil vaccine a major advance against the disease. "This vaccine is a significant advance in the protection of women's health in that it strikes at the infections that are the root cause of many cervical cancers," acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach told Reuters.
Given in three doses over six months, Gardasil targets four HPV types believed to cause more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases and 90 percent of genital warts. The vaccine was approved for use in girls and women ages 9 to 26, Merck said.
Barr started his medical career as a cardiologist. So it was quite a shift in the mid-1990s when his employer, Merck, asked Barr to join a team that was developing an HPV vaccine.
"I had to go look up what HPV meant," Barr, 42, told The Intelligencer. "This is about as far as you can get from medicine."
Barr said he's overwhelmed by the feeling that he's helped develop something that will save millions of lives.
"It's very difficult to describe," Barr said. "One gets very emotional. It's really a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing."
The biggest challenge for Gardasil comes because of the target market: adolescent girls. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, and some 20 million American men and women have it. To prevent women from getting cervical cancer, women must be inoculated before they become sexually active. But for some parents and religious groups, that might be a touchy question.
Merck's Barr says that won't be a problem. "You have to understand what's at stake here," he told Forbes. "Regardless of your background, as a parent, you want to be able to protect your child against cancer."
LOL...
My kids went to private schools (more than 20K a year) and academically it was worth it...
But as my son said 90% of his schoolmates tried drugs and they were all sleeping around... Especially the ones with very strict parents...
Of course the last to know were the parents...
actually, I wasn't commenting on the current argument at ALL...........
Race?
We're both glad the drug is developed. I freely admit to being an opponent of the tobacco settlement. Government can force the drug companies to run ads if the want, I won't support it. However there's a significant difference between producers of tobacco and alcohol, part of the problem, and in this instance Merck, part of the cure.
In my view there's no basis to expect Merck to run ads against promiscuous sex rather than expend funds on research.
Should Merck run ads against speeding?
ThisLittleLIghtofMine, are you against the development of this drug?
For the record....no I'm not.
Perhaps you need to be more selective in what KIND of a school it is. Ours go to a wonderful Christian school. They aren't hypocrites there. They live it and kids are actually HAPPY to have some rules and boundaries. They're secure and know they are loved.
Too bad about your situation.
We see here what Jews contribute to the world. To medical advances, to the betterment of life. What do Muslims contribute? Nothing except sell us oil at rip off prices. And their oil fields and refineries were developed by the West. They are too backward to do so,
Maybe you have no clue about what your daughter really does... As I said, teens have this tendency of not confiding in their parents...
Better hope the love of her life has never had sex either, unless they are both virgins on their wedding night then all the great parenting in the world won't do her any good.
________________
The vaccination works for 5-7 years and you have to have 3 series of shots over 6 months....or the vaccination doesn't do any good for the few strains of HPV either.
It's not like this vaccination is going to make cervical cancer non existent - it just stops certain strains. It's like going sky diving with 2 parachutes - and 1 of them work. Who's going to take their chances on that? First women were sold a bill of goods that condoms make
sex "safe", now we're being told that this vaccination will keep them safe from one of the diseases that condoms won't.
I am not Christian and do not want a Christian school...
And I must say that seeing the behavior of my children's friends who go to Christian school, I would say you are quite naive... As I said, the stricter the parents, the wilder the kids' behavior... And that I have seen!
Well it could be because the article comes from Isral21c, an Israelcentric web site that writes about technological and medical advances that have an Israeli connection.
Even for those not interested in Israel, it has fascinating articles on scientific advances.
Nowadays, there are advertisements of Trojans on TV. That sends a clear signal to young people. Why not have an advertisement stating that pre-martial sex could give a young woman Cervical cancer?
Should Merck run ads against speeding?
Huh?
Well it could be because the article comes from Israel21c, an Israelcentric web site that writes about technological and medical advances that have an Israeli connection.
Even for those not interested in Israel, it has fascinating articles on scientific advances.
Thank you. I didn't think you were. Your words have been twisted to frame their argument.
LOL! Oh good grief, every parent thinks that about the Christian school that their kids attend. I had neighbors growing up that were the most 2 faces little brats you ever saw, as soon as mommy and daddies backs were turned they were the worst little hellions you could imagine. Their mother was always going on about how good they were, my mom just sat their nodding and agreeing, she knew the truth. My niece and nephew attend a very strict Baptist school, just go and listen to the kids talk on recess at that school when the playground aids aren't around, some of them can make a sailor blush...
Well that is how they debate, which isn't actually debate, they just takes your words out of context, call you names, make excuses for disgusting behavior and wow I just realized they are very "liberal" in their style of attack.
Yes, if an American had come up with a vaccine, I could see the word American used in the title. Thanks. Something to be very proud of.
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