FMOL Health First in Louisiana to Give Papzimeos

The FDA-approved immunotherapy targets recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a rare, chronic HPV-driven disease that requires frequent treatment.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Cancer

Empty hospital treatment room with a clinical infusion chair and metal IV stand beside a window overlooking green foliage. — FMOL Health in Louisiana began administering Papzimeos in mid-September, becoming the first facility in the state to offer the FDA-approved immunotherapy for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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FMOL Health began administering Papzimeos in mid-September 2026, becoming the first facility in Louisiana to offer the newly available, FDA-approved immunotherapy. The treatment is used for recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a rare and chronic condition caused by certain strains of HPV.

Why it matters

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis often requires repeated laser removal of warts or chemotherapy, and Papzimeos is the next step when the Gardasil vaccine does not work. Its arrival in Louisiana gives roughly 50 patients across the state access to a new option closer to home.

In the FDA trial, more than half of patients never needed surgery again after treatment, a notable result for a disease that can require up to 300 to 400 surgeries over a patient's lifetime. Long-term durability of that effect beyond the trial period is not addressed in the source.

The players

FMOL Health

FMOL Health is a Louisiana health system that operates hospitals and clinics, including the Voice Center where patients are treated for voice and airway conditions.

Dr. Adkins

Dr. Adkins is a physician at Our Lady of the Lake's Voice Center who treats patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.

The details

Papzimeos trains a patient's immune system to target and kill HPV cells, and the course consists of four shots over 12 weeks. Patients often undergo surgery first to clear the airway, and to qualify they must need at least three surgeries or procedures a year. Three patients are currently going through the series at FMOL, and another was just approved.

Mid-September 2026: FMOL Health begins administering Papzimeos shots.
November 7, 2026: FMOL Health's first-in-Louisiana status is publicly announced.

Health Landscape

Papzimeos is positioned as the next step after the Gardasil HPV vaccine fails to prevent recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, extending therapeutic options beyond prevention. The development shows how HPV-related disease management is expanding from vaccination toward targeted immunotherapy for patients already affected.

Patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in Louisiana may now be able to receive Papzimeos locally rather than traveling for care. The treatment requires four shots over 12 weeks and generally follows surgery to clear the airway, so eligibility depends on needing at least three surgeries or procedures a year.

The takeaway

For Louisiana patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, the arrival of Papzimeos offers a new immunotherapy option when vaccines and repeated procedures have not controlled the disease. Patients who need frequent treatment can ask their physicians whether they meet the three-procedures-a-year threshold.