Scientists Develop First Cancer Vaccine

Virologists Robert Rose, Richard Reichman, and William Bonnez (from left) developed an antigen that led to the creation of a cervical cancer vaccine.

Some forms of cervical cancer could soon be a thing of the past: A vaccine derived in part from research conducted at the Medical Center and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last summer is the first ever created to prevent a specific type of cancer.

Over the course of several decades, virologists William Bonnez, Richard Reichman, and Robert Rose developed an antigen that eventually led to creation of the vaccine, which may eliminate a disease that kills nearly a quarter of a million women worldwide each year.

Rochester’s contribution is recognized with a patent issued by the European Patent Office and by royalty agreements with the companies commercializing the vaccine: Merck, which manufactures Gardasil, and GlaxoSmithKline, which manufactures Cervarix.

The researchers are continuing their work, testing drugs against viruses to treat HPV and exploring treatments for those already infected.