Cervarix

Cervarix is a bivalent, recombinant, non-infectious virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine developed by GSK to prevent infections and associated diseases caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. The vaccine is composed of the L1 capsid proteins of HPV-16 and HPV-18, which are produced using a Baculovirus expression system in Trichoplusia ni cells. It is formulated with the proprietary AS04 adjuvant system, which combines 3-O-desacyl-4'-monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist, with aluminum hydroxide. This formulation is designed to enhance the magnitude and duration of the immune response, inducing high levels of neutralizing antibodies to prevent viral entry. Cervarix is primarily indicated for the prevention of cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) caused by oncogenic HPV types 16 and 18. It was first approved in 2007 and is administered via intramuscular injection.

Brand names

Cervarix

Other names

HPV-16/18 VLP AS04 vaccineHPV-16/18 L1 VLP AS04 vaccinehuman papillomavirus vaccine [types 16, 18] (recombinant, AS04 adjuvanted)