Cervavac, Indigenously developed vaccine for cervical cancer

Recently the scientific completion of Cervavac, India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer has been announced.

About Cervical Cancer:

• Cervical cancer is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection.
• It’s a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
• It is mostly caused by long-term infection with particular forms of HPV.
• It is the second most prevalent cancer form and the second leading cause of cancer death in women of reproductive age.
• According to the WHO, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally.
  
  

Cervical Cancer in India:

• India accounts for about a fifth of the global burden of cervical cancer, with 1.23 lakh cases and around 67,000 deaths per year.
• Almost all cervical cancer cases are linked to certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).

Human papillomavirus infection:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a viral infection that is passed between people through skin-to-skin contact.
• HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI).

New qHPV vaccine:

• Cervavac was developed by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India in coordination with the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT). 
• Cervavac received market authorisation approval from the Drug Controller General of India in July 2022.