Abstract: The present invention is concerned with the provision of a method for manufacturing papillomavirus like particles (PV-VLP), comprising the steps of a) culturing a host cell lacking protease activity and comprising an expression vector, wherein said expression vector comprises at least one polynucleotide encoding a PV L1 polypeptide, and b) obtaining VLPs from the host cell. Also proposed is a host cell lacking protease activity and comprising an expression vector, wherein said expression vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding at least one PV L1 polypeptide. Furthermore, a method for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of PV-related disease comprising the steps of manufacturing PV-VLPs and the further step of formulating the VLPs as a pharmaceutical composition is proposed as well as an expression vector comprising at least one polynucleotide encoding a PV L1 polypeptide but lacking a functional gene for a v-cath protease.