Human papillomavirus (HPV)

General Information

Group of viruses that can cause cervical cancer, which is the fourth most common type of cancer in women aged 15–44 years.

Transmission

Sexually-transmitted infection.

Symptoms

Most of the time HPV does not cause any problems. However, some types of HPV can cause genital warts or abnormal changes in the cells that can sometimes turn into cancer.

Epidemiology

2022

At global level, there were approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths in 2022. About 94% of the new deaths in 2022 occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

Each year, there are around 33,000 cases of cervical cancer in the EU, and 15,000 deaths.

Besides cervical cancer, HPV causes 12%–63% of oropharyngeal cancers, 36%–40% of penile cancers, 40%–64% of vaginal cancers, 40%–51% of vulvar cancers, anal cancer and genital warts.

Vaccines Pipeline

1
Vaccines in
the pipeline

IMMUNISATION TECHNOLOGY

Virus-like particle (1)

DEVELOPMENT PHASES

Phase I (1)

TRIAL POPULATION

Adults (1)

Source:
ECDC. Human papillomavirus. [Online]. [cited 2023 August. Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/human-papillomavirus.
WHO. Cervical cancer. [Online].; 2022 [cited 2023 August. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer