Expand HPV vaccine access with PodTech™

Did you know that one in every five children who loses their mother to cancer does so due to cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer among women globally. As many as 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths from cervical cancer were reported in 2022. As with many other diseases, the highest rates of incidence and mortality from this cancer are reported in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A massive proportion of 94% of cervical cancer deaths were reported in LMICs, with sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia bearing the heaviest burdens.

The disproportionately heavy caseloads in LMICs are not because of a lack of scientific progress. We have cost-effective prophylactic vaccines, high-quality diagnostics and screenings, and appropriate procedures to prevent and treat cervical cancer. But social and economic determinants, combined with a lack of accessible HPV vaccines and screening and treatment services have driven some women to suffer unnecessarily from this curable cancer.

Our mission at PodTech™ will remain unfulfilled as long as young women continue to suffer and die from cervical cancer.

The WHO global strategy defines cervical cancer elimination as reducing the number of new cases annually to four or fewer per 100,000 women. Achieving this goal by 2030 involves a three-pronged approach with relevant targets. 90% of girls being vaccinated with the HPV shot by the age of 15. 70% of women being screened with a high-quality test at least once between the ages of 35 and 45 years. 90% of women with cervical disease receiving treatment to prevent progression to cervical cancer.

By deploying PodTech™’s cutting-edge modular cleanroom and factory systems to manufacture vaccines, diagnostics and treatments in the regions worst affected by HPV and cervical cancer, you, too, can be part of the change. You can help avert millions of new cases and deaths. You can play a crucial role in enabling women the world over to live healthy, fulfilling lives without the risk of disease.

What is cervical cancer?

The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a fairly common sexually transmitted infection (STI). Nearly all sexually active people will be infected with HPV at some point in time. In most cases, the body’s immune system clears the virus without the presentation of any symptoms. However, when an infection with a high-risk HPV type persists in the body, specifically in the cervix (the lower part of the uterus), abnormal cell growth leads to cervical cancer if left untreated.

It can take as long as 15 to 20 years for abnormal cells to become cancer. In women with compromised immune systems, say, due to untreated HIV, abnormal cells can grow into cancer in five to 10 years. Generally, the grade of oncogenicity of the HPV type, the presence of other STIs, the person’s immune status, number of births, age at first pregnancy, smoking, and hormonal contraceptive use influence a person’s susceptibility to cervical cancer.

If diagnosed early and treated immediately, cervical cancer is 100% curable. The challenge is to increase public awareness and access to the right health services.

How can you, as a biopharma manufacturer, help eliminate cervical cancer?

Prevention

The most effective way to prevent HPV infection, cervical cancer and other cancers related to HPV is vaccination, especially when administered to girls between the ages of nine and 14 years, before they become sexually active.

There are currently 6 HPV vaccines which protect against the high-risk HPV types 16 and 18. Generally administered over one or two doses, they may also be given in three doses when individuals have compromised immune systems. Not only young girls, but even boys can benefit from being vaccinated against HPV – immunisation reduces their susceptibility to HPV-related cancers and the overall prevalence of HPV in the community.

Given the large market for HPV vaccines the world over, you, as a vaccine manufacturer have a massive opportunity to reach millions of people. Specifically, by tapping into markets in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia – where cervical cancer prevalence is high and healthcare access is low – you can solidify your position as a provider of essential vaccination products.

Screening

Regardless of vaccination status, the global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer recommends that women have at least two screens in their lifetimes. One with a high-performance HPV test by the age of 35 and another before the age of 45. Self-collection of samples for HPV testing has been a preferred and reliable choice. It is important to build the infrastructure, including diagnostic labs, to screen and test for HIV in countries with relatively weak health sectors. That’s where health product manufacturers and healthcare providers can intervene, deploying flexible podules™ to bring cervical cancer screening to the communities that need them the most.

Early screening and detection of precancers can help women access treatments, which are usually quick and painless, to prevent progression to cervical cancer. Even once cervical cancer develops, at early stages, it can be treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Join the fight against cervical cancer

In India, there is one cervical cancer death every seven minutes – a dismaying statistic.

In early 2024, the country’s Finance Minister announced a national drive to vaccinate girls between the ages of nine and 14 years against HPV. The Indian states of Punjab and Sikkim had already introduced the HPV vaccine in their immunisation programmes in 2016, enjoying high coverage as 97% of the targeted girls were vaccinated. As India rolls out an HPV vaccination programme at the national level, other countries with high cervical cancer burdens in the Global South are also bound to follow suit.

As stakeholders in global supply chains – whether as vaccine manufacturers, diagnostics manufacturers, diagnostic laboratories or otherwise – we have an important role to play in helping these countries build up the infrastructure they need to fight cervical cancer and save millions of lives.

PodTech™ is committed to making HPV vaccines, the most effective intervention against cervical and other HPV-related cancers, available to every young girl and boy globally. When they need it, where they need it, and however many doses they need. In this ambitious mission, we need your help.

As a biopharma manufacturer, you have the opportunity to transform the health and lives of millions globally. Partner with PodTech™, invest in a podule™, and make an HPV-free future a reality. We may not be able to achieve this ambitious goal alone, but together, there is nothing that can stop us.