Aust cancer vaccine inventor up for award

Australia's Professor Ian Frazer, who co-developed the world's first cervical cancer vaccine, has been shortlisted for the prestigious European Inventor Award.

The eminent immunologist and his late Chinese colleague Jian Zhou are finalists in the Non-European Countries category of the 2015 award given by the European Patent Office (EPO).

"Their invention has saved countless lives and will continue to protect many women from this devastating form of cancer in future," said EPO president Benoit Battistelli.

The Gardasil vaccine is now used in 121 countries and been administered more than 125 million times.

Only one Australian research team, those behind making wi-fi a global phenomenon, has won the award launched in 2006.

Prof Frazer, of the University of Queensland and a Companion in the Order of Australia, will go to Paris on June 11 when the winners will be announced.