New Option for Rare HPV Disease

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Adults living with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, or RRP, have long relied on surgery to manage this rare HPV-related disease. 

Caused by chronic infection with HPV 6 or HPV 11, RRP leads to the growth of benign tumors in the airway, which can cause severe voice changes, breathing difficulties, and, in rare cases, cancer.

For many patients, managing RRP has meant dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of surgeries over a lifetime. 

Each procedure carries a risk of permanent vocal damage, and the disease can affect careers, family life, and mental health.

Now, adults with RRP have a new option beyond surgery. 

PAPZIMEOS, recently approved by the FDA, works by training the immune system to recognize and attack the viruses that cause the disease, addressing the underlying cause rather than just removing growths. 

Doctors say it represents an important step forward for patients who have spent years cycling in and out of the operating room.

Clinical trial participants, including some who previously underwent surgeries every few weeks, report that the therapy offers hope for more consistent voice preservation and relief from the constant strain of repeated operations.

While not a cure, PAPZIMEOS gives patients a non-surgical way to manage RRP and a chance to improve quality of life after years of invasive treatments.