Incepta launches its cervical cancer vaccine ‘Papilovax’

Incepta Vaccine Limited launched its cervical cancer vaccine "Papilovax" yesterday for the first time in Bangladesh as a local company.

Papilovax protects women against cervical cancer by countering the HPV virus responsible for the disease, said a press release from the company on Monday.

Homaira Fatema, senior brand manager at Incepta Pharmaceuticals, told The Business Standard (TBS) that women 9-45 years in age should receive three doses of Papilovax. The second dose should be taken one month after the first dose and the third dose should be received six months after that.

Each dose of Papilovax costs Tk2,500.

Completing the full course of this vaccine will reduce the risk of developing cervical cancer throughout a woman's lifetime.

Homaira Fatema said Papilovax is available at public and private hospital vaccine centres, including Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital. It will also be available at large pharmacies which have vaccine storage systems.

Cervical cancer is the second deadliest among different types of cancers that cause female deaths in Bangladesh. Every year more than 10,000 women die of cervical cancer in the country and more than five crore women are at risk.

Incepta says this vaccine will go a long way to helping Bangladesh eradicate cervical cancer.

Papilovax is marketed in modern pre-filled syringes. The full dose in pre-filled syringes is manufactured in an aseptic environment and marketed at controlled temperatures in fully sterile packaging.

The direct administration of vaccine in pre-filled syringes is easy and does not require separate dosing, allowing for the vaccine to be administered more safely and easily at the correct dose, the press release read.