Our Lady of the Lake has begun administering Papzimeos in Baton Rouge, adding a treatment option in Louisiana for adults whose recurrent respiratory papillomatosis can require repeated airway surgery.
FMOL Health announced the service November 4. Two patients at the hospital's Voice Center received their first injections September 17 under the care of Dr. Lacey Adkins, an LSU Health Sciences Center laryngology specialist. The announcement describes treatment already underway, not a November launch.
Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, or RRP, is a rare chronic disease linked to persistent infection with human papillomavirus types 6 or 11. It produces benign growths in the respiratory tract, commonly in the voice box. The FDA says it can cause voice changes, difficulty breathing and airway obstruction.
The FDA approved Papzimeos for adults with RRP on August 14, 2025. The immunotherapy is designed to prompt an immune response against infected cells. In the study supporting approval, participants received four injections under the skin over 12 weeks after procedures to reduce the growths.
The trial enrolled adults who needed at least three surgeries a year. In its pivotal group, 18 of 35 participants, or 51.4%, needed no surgical intervention during the 12 months after treatment, according to the FDA. That finding does not mean every patient avoided further surgery. The trial had no comparison group, and most reported adverse events were mild or moderate.
For Louisiana patients, the development is access to the therapy at the Baton Rouge Voice Center. FMOL's announcement did not provide treatment prices, insurance coverage details or outcomes for the two local patients.