Research at Loyola Led to Development of New Cervical Cancer Vaccine

A new cervical cancer vaccine approved Oct. 16 by the Food and Drug Administration was developed as a result of research at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

In the mid-1990s, a team of Loyola researchers invented the technology that has been developed into the vaccine, Cervarix.

The vaccine is approved for girls and young women. It protects against two types of a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the predominant cause of cervical cancer. The Loyola researchers developed and patented the HPV vaccine.

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in their 20s and 30s. This year, about 11,000 women of all ages will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 4,000 women will die of the disease.

The vaccine "is very effective against the most common cause of cervical cancer, and it's most effective when given to young women before exposure to the virus," said Sondra Summers, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

The work that Loyola researchers did in developing the vaccine "is a good example of the type of research -- ranging from the laboratory bench to the bedside -- that is benefiting patients today and in the future," said Richard Kennedy, Ph.D., senior associate dean of research.