WASHINGTON, May 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- New advancements in cervical cancer prevention such as HPV testing and HPV vaccines will make a woman's gynecologic "annual visit" more important than ever, predicted leading OB-GYNs at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by HPV, and Digene Corp. markets the only FDA-approved HPV test that detects the cancer-causing types of this virus.
Awareness of HPV's causative role in cervical cancer is already growing dramatically among women as news spreads about the HPV test and the coming vaccines, and the greater awareness is prompting a growing number of requests for more information, said Mark DeFrancesco*, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer for Women's Health Connecticut in a presentation titled "Redefining the Annual Visit -- Adapting to the New Environment."
"OB-GYNs are often the professionals to whom women turn for medical advice for both themselves and their mothers or daughters. We need to be ready to answer the many questions women of all ages will have concerning HPV and how they can protect themselves," said Dr. DeFrancesco. "And we have great answers to give them. The coming vaccine will be a big help to girls and young women, but for most of our patients, appropriate screening with HPV DNA testing and the Pap provides maximum protection."
The ACOG convention is featuring more than 15 HPV and cervical cancer- related sessions, with HPV as one of the most widely discussed topics.
"Today, physicians are better equipped than ever to combat cervical cancer, with Pap testing, Digene's HPV DNA test and soon, HPV vaccines. But after vaccine approval, consistent and ongoing screening -- HPV testing and cytology -- must remain a cornerstone of cervical cancer prevention to truly be effective," said Attila Lorincz, PhD, Digene's Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice President of Research and Development. "It will take broad population vaccination -- and several generations -- for a vaccine campaign to impact disease burden. Even then, there will be oncogenic HPV types not protected by the vaccine. As such, continued HPV screening will remain vital. Digene is the pioneer in the development of HPV technologies, and we will maintain that position by continuing to improve the science behind our HPV- detection products, and the education and other support we offer healthcare providers, laboratories and the women they serve."
The Digene(R) HPV Test is approved for use in conjunction with a Pap test for women age 30 and older, the group most at risk of developing cervical cancer, as well as for follow-up evaluation of women of all ages whose Pap results are inconclusive. Worldwide, cervical cancer affects more than 400,000 women annually and, after breast cancer, is the second most common malignancy found in women. In the United States, there are an estimated 9,700 cases of cervical cancer resulting in approximately 3,700 deaths each year.
About Digene
Digene Corporation , based in Gaithersburg, MD, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary DNA and RNA testing systems for the screening, monitoring and diagnosis of human diseases -- with a focus on women's cancers and infectious diseases. The company's hc2 High-Risk HPV DNA Test(R) is the only test for human papillomavirus approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for both follow-up evaluation in women with inconclusive Pap results and for primary adjunctive screening with the Pap test in women age 30 and older. For primary adjunctive screening, it is marketed as both The Digene HPV Test and the DNAwithPap(R) Test. These brand names do not refer to the Digene product that tests for several types of the virus commonly referred to as "low-risk HPV," which are not associated with cervical cancer. For more information, visit www.thehpvtest.com. Digene's HPV test is also CE-marked in Europe both routine, primary screening and follow-up evaluation of women with inconclusive Paps. It is marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide. In addition, Digene's product portfolio includes DNA tests for the detection of other sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as tests for blood viruses. For more information, visit the company's Web site, http://www.digene.com. Investors also may contact Charles Fleischman at (301) 944-7000; journalists may contact Pam Rasmussen, (301) 944-7196.
* Dr. Mark DeFrancesco has a consulting relationship with Digene
Corporation.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of the future, as there are a number of meaningful factors that could cause the company's actual results to vary materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Meaningful factors that could cause actual results to differ from expectations include, but are not limited to, the degree of acceptance of HPV testing by physicians and the extent of reimbursement for the HPV test by third-party payers, as well as other factors discussed in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. For other factors, reference is made to the discussion in the company's annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Digene CorporationCONTACT: Charles M. Fleischman, President of Digene Corporation, +1-301-944-7000; or Investors - Jonathan Birt of Financial Dynamics,+1-212-850-5634, or Media - Pam Rasmussen of Digene, +1-301-944-7196, orSean Leous of Financial Dynamics, +1-212-850-5755
