FDA Endorses Anal Cancer Vaccine

The FDA has endorsed the vaccine Gardasil as a preventive for anal cancer in young men and women. The drug prevents certain strains of HPV (human papillomavirus) which are known to cause various vaginal, penile, and anal cancers. To be effective, the vaccine must be administered at a young age before sexual activity and HPV infection occurs.

Men who have sex with other men are diagnosed with anal cancer at a higher rate than any other population, but in terms of overall numbers, more women get the disease than do men. Women account for approximately 60% of all cases. Like cervical cancer, anal cancer is strongly linked togher rate than any other population, but in terms of overall numbers, more women get the disease than do men. Women account for approximate several types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. The Merck vaccine has been shown to effectively prevent the development of HPV in girls and young women, thereby preventing cervical cancer. The anal cancer studies that Merck presented to the FDA showed a similar positive outcome in the prevention of HPV in men.

Christianist groups like the Family Research Council have long opposed the use of Gardasil in pre-adolescent children, characterizing the drug as "the promiscuity vaccine" because it protects against a sexually transmitted disease. The FRC appears to have softened their stance recently, judging by their just-released fact sheet on Gardasil. However they continue to oppose the routine mass vaccination of school children.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

Jack Mackenroth HIV PSA

Here's Project Runway's Jack Mackenroth with his PSA for HIV treatment, made in partnership with Logo and Merck. More on the campaign here.

Vaccine News Worse Than Thought

More disappointing news about Merck's recently halted HIV vaccine study.

The vaccine is made from a common cold virus with three synthetic HIV genes tucked inside. It's designed to stimulate the immune system to kill any HIV-infected cells encountered in the future.

However, the researchers found that volunteers with pre-existing immunity to this particular cold virus were much more likely to get infected with HIV if they got the AIDS vaccine than if they got the dummy shot. Some 3,000 people, mostly homosexual men and female sex workers, had volunteered to get the experimental vaccine or dummy shots. All were warned to protect themselves from AIDS exposure.

At the time the study was halted in September, Merck said said 24 of 741 volunteers who got the vaccine in one segment of testing later developed HIV; 21 of 762 participants who got dummy shots also were infected. New data released Wednesday showed that to date, 49 of 914 vaccinated men became infected with HIV, compared with 33 of the 922 men who got dummy shots. Only one woman and a small number of heterosexual men were infected.

Obviously, getting volunteers for future vaccine studies could be much more difficult.

Merck Halts HIV Vaccine Trial

Disappointing news. Merck has stopped its promising HIV vaccine trial, after more subjects who received the vaccine contracted the virus that those who got the dummy shots. Merck's vaccine trial was the farthest along and most closely watched. The National Institute of Health, who partly funded the research, said that not only did the vaccine not prevent infection, it did not mitigate the damage that HIV caused in those who received the vaccine. The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition said in a statement, "While this is a disappointment, it is in no way the end of the search for an AIDS vaccine."

Heavy sigh.