Inhalable HPV Vaccine - Effective, Cheaper

An inhalable dry powder HPV vaccine could be more effective and less costly than the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines that are being used in the world today. HPV is the number one cause of cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer in women around the globe.

David McAdams and colleagues from the University of Colorado at Boulder created a dry powder that goes directly to the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract or mouth.

"Imagine the vaccine as a car. Using this delivery method is similar to parking in your driveway instead of driving around the block a few times to find a spot," said McAdams.

There are added benefits for developing nations - the new vaccine is delivered by a needle injection, which is highly susceptible to contamination, and the powder may be more stable than current HPV vaccines, which makes it easier to store and transport in developing countries.

"Our goal is to develop an economical, safe and easily administered HPV vaccine for everyone," said McAdams.

The results are being presented at the 2010 FIP Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress in association with the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition.

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Source-ANI