GlaxoSmithKline is trying to obtain prequalification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Cervarix. Cervarix has already been approved in Europe, and is under review in the US.
If WHO grants the prequalification, then United Nations groups like UNICEF can distribute the vaccine to developing nations. Cervarix, similar to Merck's Gardasil, can substantially reduce the risk of cervical cancer, if given to girls before they become sexually active.
