Twenty years on, the Gardasil story is still being written
(Photo credit: UniQuest. )
August marks 20 years since the first dose of Gardasil® was administered, beginning a new chapter in the prevention of cervical cancer.
Anniversaries like this invite us to celebrate scientific breakthroughs. But Gardasil's story is also a reminder that research achieves its greatest value when it reaches the people who need it.
The vaccine traces its origins to decades of research led by Emeritus Professor Ian Frazer AC and the late Dr Jian Zhou at The University of Queensland.
Through UniQuest, the underlying intellectual property was protected and licensed to partners who could undertake the extensive clinical development and global rollout required to bring the vaccine to market.
What makes this story remarkable is not simply the discovery itself, but what happened next.
Australia combined vaccination with one of the world's most successful cervical screening programs. Together, these efforts have dramatically reduced cervical cancer and precancerous disease, placing Australia on a path towards eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Research suggests that with continued participation in vaccination and screening programs, cervical cancer mortality could fall to fewer than one death per 100,000 women by 2034 in Australia.
I often think about a research showcase I attended as a young PhD student at Indooroopilly Shopping Centre many years ago.
Most researchers had sent students like me to represent their work. Professor Frazer was there himself, standing beside a poster and speaking directly with shoppers about his research into a potential cervical cancer vaccine.
He was “boots on the ground” from the beginning.
As we mark this anniversary, that image feels especially fitting.
Scientific discovery matters. Commercialisation matters. Public health programs matter. But lasting impact begins with people who believe enough in an idea to share it with others.
Twenty years on, that spirit of discovery, translation and public trust is a legacy worth protecting.
About the author
Dr Dean Moss is CEO of UniQuest, Australia’s leading university commercialisation entity, managing the intellectual property of The University of Queensland.
Dr Moss is Chair of the Group of Eight Universities Innovation and Commercialisation Group and was awarded the title of Adjunct Professor in the Office of the UQ’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Innovation).
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