The US Food and Drug Administration says a vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline successfully blocks the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer.
In documents posted online, the FDA says Cervarix, Glaxo's vaccine against human papilloma virus or HPV, blocked the virus almost 93% of the time. Side effects with the vaccine were mild, such as soreness at the injection site.
Cervarix already is approved in nearly 100 other countries, but has been delayed in the United States since 2007 because the FDA said it needed additional data.
The agency will ask a panel of vaccine experts next week whether Cervarix should be approved for girls and women ages 10 to 25.