Gardasil

Gardasil is a quadrivalent recombinant vaccine developed by Merck that protects against human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18. It is composed of purified virus-like particles (VLPs) of the major capsid (L1) protein for each of the four HPV types, which are produced by recombinant DNA technology in yeast cells (*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*). The vaccine is designed to induce a robust humoral immune response, generating neutralizing antibodies that prevent HPV infection and subsequent development of cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers (primarily caused by types 16 and 18) as well as genital warts (primarily caused by types 6 and 11). In a specific clinical context, the nonprofit organization PATH sponsored trials in Vietnam to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of alternative three-dose schedules in adolescent girls to optimize vaccine delivery in low-resource settings.

Brand names

Gardasil

Other names

quadrivalent human papillomavirus (types 6, 11, 16, 18) recombinant vaccineHPV4HPV-4HPV 44vHPVquadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine