Therapeutic vaccines new trend and new business opportunity for pharma companies vs preventative vaccines

On analyzing prospects of the development and introduction of the HPV therapeutic vaccine, it is important to distinguish therapeutic vaccines and preventative vaccines. In this regard, it is worth mentioning the fact that many specialists stand on the ground that preventative vaccines are better compared to therapeutic vaccines because they can prevent the development of certain health problems and their complications. In case of HPV, a preventative vaccine would prevent the development of HPV and the further development of cervical cancer. In stark contrast, the HPV therapeutic vaccine would focus on the elimination of HPV, when a person has already caught the viruses to stop the further complications and, thus, to stop the development of the cervical cancer. In such a context, the development of the HPV therapeutic vaccine is less effective from the medical point of view. On the other hand, this vaccine is also essential because it can help to stop the development of serious complications in female patients that may potentially lead to the development of cervical cancer. Therefore, pharma companies can focus on the development of the HPV therapeutic vaccine to back up existing preventative vaccines.

At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that pharma companies are likely to provoke the competitive struggle with preventative vaccines to push them out of the market. In such a situation, health care professionals should stay above the struggle and use the vaccine, which is more efficient at the moment in relation to the particular patient. What is meant here is the fact that business interests should not outweigh health care concerns.

2.2 HPV and cancer
At the same time, it is worth reminding that HPV is closely intertwined with the development of the cervical cancer. In fact, specialists (Alam, 2005) point out that practically all women with the cervical cancer had HPV. Hence, the introduction of the HPV therapeutic vaccine could contribute to the development of effective methods of the prevention of the spread of the cervical cancer in women. The minimization of risks of the development of the cervical cancer in women is extremely important, taking into consideration the fact that a large number of women are vulnerable to the risk of the development of the cervical cancer (See App. Table 1.1).

In actuality, women of the older age are more vulnerable to the development of the cervical cancer, although, practically all women can face the risk of the development of the cervical cancer (See Fig-1.1-1.4). Therefore, HPV and its prevention and effective treatment can contribute consistently to the reduction of the cervical cancer in women or, at any rate, to minimize the risk of the development of this disease. At the same time, the development of the HPV therapeutic vaccine should focus on the treatment and prevention of HPV, whereas the cervical cancer is the effect of HPV.

2.3 GSK (Gardasil) and Merck (Cerivax) preventative vaccines on the market.
However, in actuality, health care professionals have already got preventative vaccines, which are applied to the prevention of HPV and the cervical cancer. In this regard, it is worth mentioning GSK and Merck, which are considered by specialists (Demers, 2003) to be among the most effective preventative vaccines in the market at the moment. Specialists (Blayney, 2005) argue that these vaccines can decrease substantially the risk of the development of HPV and prevent the development of the cervical cancer. On the other hand, there is still no ideal vaccine, which could prevent the development of HPV and the cervical cancer 100%. What is meant here is the fact that existing vaccines cannot fully protect patients from serious health problems such as complications of HPV and the development of the cervical cancer. To put it in simple words, there is still no vaccine against the cervical cancer. Consequently, the modern health care system still needs an efficient HPV therapeutic vaccine because it can increase the protection of women from the risk of the development of the cervical cancer.