Britain picks Glaxo's Cervarix for vaccine program

LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L) cervical cancer vaccine Cervarix was picked as the medicine of choice for the British Department of Health's immunisation program, the drugmaker said on Wednesday.

The program aims to protect against the two types of human papillomavirus responsible for about 70 percent of cervical cancers and starts in September for girls aged 12 to 13, the company said.

The decision marks a defeat for Merck's (MRK.N) Gardasil, which competes with the Glaxo drug. (Reporting by Michael Kahn)