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Israeli doctor heads Merck team that has developed vaccine against cervical cancer
ISRAEL21c ^ | June 14, 2006 | Staff

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."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
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To: nmh

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...


61 posted on 06/23/2006 8:35:22 AM PDT by Alama
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To: nmh

actually, I wasn't commenting on the current argument at ALL...........


62 posted on 06/23/2006 8:35:34 AM PDT by HashemEchod
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To: nmh

Race?


63 posted on 06/23/2006 8:35:55 AM PDT by Alama
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To: RS
Me: Like liberals, you assume the worst. Have no trust in kids. Don't believe raising them properly will work."

You: ... and after all you do - if your kid dosen't learn - the heck with them ... Let her get Cancer because YOU didn't do something as simple as get her a few shots as a kid, when YOU could have handled it.

Now that's just being a great parent !

Me: There you go again!

Again, SOME KIDS ACTUALLY WANT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT!

You ASSUME the WORST. I don't. Perhaps your daughter, if you have one has been a disappointment. Mine is not. She is being raised properly and UNDERSTANDS the consequences of messing around - diseases you can get etc..

What a pity. Another "parent" who touts liberal scare tactics because they aren't raising their children well.
64 posted on 06/23/2006 8:37:40 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) !)
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To: pbrown
Tobacco companies and alcohol companies use a portion of their monies on education. Are the drug companies above this approach? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure....I'm glad the drug has been created, I'm sure it will save many women's lives.

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?

65 posted on 06/23/2006 8:38:03 AM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn’t do!)
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To: pbrown

ThisLittleLIghtofMine, are you against the development of this drug?

For the record....no I'm not.


66 posted on 06/23/2006 8:38:27 AM PDT by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: Alama

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.


67 posted on 06/23/2006 8:39:21 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) !)
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To: veronica

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,


68 posted on 06/23/2006 8:39:30 AM PDT by dennisw (Muhammad and his alter-ego allah need to be discredited)
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To: nmh

Maybe you have no clue about what your daughter really does... As I said, teens have this tendency of not confiding in their parents...


69 posted on 06/23/2006 8:39:52 AM PDT by Alama
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To: Abathar

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.




70 posted on 06/23/2006 8:40:38 AM PDT by justche (Let me make something perfectly clear. I never explain myself - Mary Poppins)
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To: nmh

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!


71 posted on 06/23/2006 8:41:48 AM PDT by Alama
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To: pbrown

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.


72 posted on 06/23/2006 8:43:12 AM PDT by Sabramerican (Bandar Bush in 08: Continue the Legacy)
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To: SJackson
In my view there's no basis to expect Merck to run ads against promiscuous sex rather than expend funds on research.

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?

73 posted on 06/23/2006 8:43:25 AM PDT by processing please hold (If you can't stand behind our military, stand in front of them.)
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To: pbrown

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.


74 posted on 06/23/2006 8:43:25 AM PDT by Sabramerican (Bandar Bush in 08: Continue the Legacy)
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To: ThisLittleLightofMine
For the record....no I'm not.

Thank you. I didn't think you were. Your words have been twisted to frame their argument.

75 posted on 06/23/2006 8:45:05 AM PDT by processing please hold (If you can't stand behind our military, stand in front of them.)
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To: Alama
"Maybe you have no clue about what your daughter really does... As I said, teens have this tendency of not confiding in their parents... "

What is it with YOU?

You just don't want to accept my daughter is genuine blessing. We have very good communication. We get along well. Her friends are something to be proud of. Their parents are like family. It's a close group.

Our kids are NOT devious.

I'm beginning to get the impression, you're either jealous or made a mess of your own kids. You really can't stand the very idea that some parents are doing a good job and their kids are turning out well too. It really bugs you. In fact, it nearly drives you crazy.

You're trying to undermine the parent role or using scare tactic have no effect. It's worn out liberal clap trap. Perhaps DU would also fit you better.
76 posted on 06/23/2006 8:45:47 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God) !)
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To: nmh
"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. "

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...

77 posted on 06/23/2006 8:46:56 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
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To: pbrown

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.


78 posted on 06/23/2006 8:47:46 AM PDT by ThisLittleLightofMine
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To: Sabramerican

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.


79 posted on 06/23/2006 8:48:03 AM PDT by processing please hold (If you can't stand behind our military, stand in front of them.)
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To: SJackson
I believe science should not have moral component, when it comes to curing disease. Science needs to be agnostic in such matters, providing relief to people, period.
80 posted on 06/23/2006 8:48:12 AM PDT by veronica ("A person needs a sense of mission like the air he breathes...")
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