CORRECTED - Dutch pick Glaxo's Cervarix for vaccine programme
(Corrects second paragraph to show Gardasil is marekted in the EU under a joint venture with Sanofi-Aventis)
LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Dutch government has selected GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L) cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix for the country's national immunisation programme, the company said on Thursday.
The vaccine was chosen over rival Gardasil, which is produced by Merck & Co (MRK.N) and marketed in the EU as part of a joint venture with Sanofi-Aventis (SASY.PA).
Both vaccines are designed to protect girls and young women against cancer-causing strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV). Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by sexually transmitted HPV and it is the second most common type of cancer in women, killing 300,000 each year.
The Dutch programme, primarily for girls aged 12 and 13, will start in Sept 2009, and Glaxo estimates that more than 350,000 girls will be vaccinated in the first year.
Cervarix is one of Glaxo's most important new products but it is still awaiting U.S. approval, meaning it has lost ground to its rival in the world's largest drugs market and making its acceptance in Europe key.
(Reporting by Ben Deighton; editing by John Stonestreet)
