"Scientists have developed a new HPV human papilloma virus vaccine which protects against nine types of the virus  seven of which cause most cases of cervical cancer. The new vaccine offers significantly greater protection than the current vaccine which protects against only two cancer causing types of HPV. A pivotal international clinical trial compared the safety and efficacy of the new vaccine Gardasil  with the current vaccine Gardasil in more than  women aged between  and  years old. The findings indicate that if uninfected populations are vaccinated with Gardasil  approximately  per cent of all cervical cancers worldwide could be prevented.  Published in the New England Journal of Medicine the study found that among uninfected women Gardasil  was  per cent effective at preventing highgrade cervical vulvar and vaginal disease caused by HPV     and  and was equally effective as the current Gardasil vaccine in preventing diseases caused by HPV    and .  Professor Jack Cuzick of Queen Mary University of London who coauthored the report and participated in the design and analysis of the study and served on the Trial Advisory Board comments This is a significant achievement. The new vaccine Gardasil  is not only safe but will offer greatly improved protection against cervical and other cancers. Eventually this will mean less screening is needed as women will have greater protection from the outset.  Gardasil  offers the potential to increase overall cervical cancer prevention from  to  per cent nearly eliminating this cancer among vaccinated women. However its crucial to remember that vaccination must be done before exposure to the virus. Our focus for prevention must be on girls aged  as the current UK vaccine programme is doing but the vaccine may also be appropriate for women  as part of a screening appointment. Until late last year there were two available vaccines to protect against HPV related disease Cervarix and Gardasil. The UK currently uses Gardasil which protects against four HPV types and offers about  per cent protection against cervical cancer and also significantly reduces the risk of other types of cancer and genital warts.  However researchers have been trying to find methods to completely eliminate cervical cancer and other HPV related disease and by adding five more cancer related HPV types. The development of the new Gardasil  vaccine makes an important step in that direction.  HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. Many people infected with HPV clear it from their systems with no lasting health concerns and some types of the virus are low risk causing warts or verrucas. However other types are high risk causing cervical cancer and less commonly vulvar vaginal penile anal and throat cancers. Almost all cases of cervical cancer occur as a result of infection with high risk types of HPV.  Cervical cancer is still the fourth most common cancer in women with over  cases and  deaths per year worldwide. In the UK around  women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer and in  there were around  deaths.  In the UK all girls aged  to  are offered HPV vaccination as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.  Professor Jack Cuzick concludes Following these important findings this vaccine has been licenced in the USA and approval is currently being sought in the UK and other countries. It is encouraging that the Joint committee on Vaccines and Immunisation is reviewing Gardasil  in light of this new evidence.  This clinical trial was funded by Merck. For more information contact  Charli Scouller  PR Manager School of Medicine and Dentistry  Queen Mary University of London  c.scoullerqmul.ac.uk mailtoc.scoullerqmul.ac.uk  Tel     Notes to the editor  About Queen Mary University of London  Queen Mary University of London QMUL is one of the UKs leading universities and one of the largest institutions in the University of London with  students from more than  countries.  A member of the Russell Group we work across the humanities and social sciences medicine and dentistry and science and engineering with inspirational teaching directly informed by our research  in the most recent national assessment of the quality of research we were placed ninth in the UK REF .  We also offer something no other university can a stunning selfcontained residential campus in Londons East End. As well as our home at Mile End we have campuses at Whitechapel Charterhouse Square and West Smithfield dedicated to the study of medicine and a base for legal studies at Lincolns Inn Fields.  We have a rich history in London with roots in Europes first public hospital St Barts Englands first medical school The London one of the first colleges to provide higher education to women Westfield College and the Victorian philanthropic project the Peoples Palace based at Mile End.  QMUL has an annual turnover of m a research income worth m and generates employment and output worth m to the UK economy each year."