The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first plasmid DNA-based immunotherapy in the United States, and it targets a disease caused by HPV. On October 30, 2026, the FDA granted accelerated approval to Voceryq (doruxapapogene ralaplasmid and lalikinogene sifuplasmid-gxfd), made by Inovio Pharmaceuticals, for adults living with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). RRP is a rare condition in which HPV types 6 and 11 cause wart-like growths in the airway. The treatment is not a cure, and it doesn't change anything about genital warts or HPV-related cancers. Here is what was approved, how it works, what the study showed and what it means for people dating with HPV.

What the FDA approved

According to the FDA's announcement and the drug's prescribing information:

• Who it's for: Adults with RRP. The approved use is to reduce how often people need surgery to remove papillomas (the wart-like growths). Safety and effectiveness have not been established in children.
• Accelerated approval: The FDA based the decision on fewer surgeries, an intermediate endpoint it considers reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. Inovio must run a confirmatory study to verify that benefit, and continued approval may depend on the results.
• A first of its kind: The FDA says this is the first approval in the U.S. for a plasmid DNA-based immunotherapy. The agency had also given it Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations.
• Timing: Inovio says it expects the treatment to be available to order in about 60 days, with a full launch in the first quarter of 2027.

What is recurrent respiratory papillomatosis?

RRP is a rare, long-term condition in which HPV types 6 and/or 11 cause small, noncancerous growths called papillomas in the airway, most often on or around the vocal cords. The FDA says the growths can cause hoarseness, a chronic cough and voice changes, and in severe cases they can spread through the respiratory tract and make breathing difficult. In some cases, RRP can become cancerous over time.

Surgery can remove the growths, but the virus stays in the tissue, so they often come back. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says some people need surgery every few weeks to keep the airway open, while others need it once a year or less. RRP can start in childhood or adulthood. NIDCD cites estimates of 2 to 3 new adult cases per 100,000 adults in the U.S. each year, and notes that scientists still don't fully understand why only a small number of people exposed to HPV 6 or 11 develop RRP.

How Voceryq works

Instead of removing growths, Voceryq is designed to train the immune system to go after the cells infected with HPV 6 and 11. It delivers two small circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. One carries instructions for HPV 6 and 11 proteins; the other carries instructions for IL-12, a molecule that boosts the immune response.

• How it's given: A trained health care provider gives it as an injection into the muscle, using a device called CELLECTRA 5PSP. The device sends brief electrical pulses (electroporation) that help the DNA get into cells.
• Schedule: The label calls for four doses, one every three weeks. Before the first dose, a surgeon removes the visible growths.
• Immune response: In the study, HPV 6- and 11-specific T cells were detected two weeks after the last dose and again at week 52, according to the label.

What the study showed

The approval rests on one open-label study (RRP-001) without a comparison group:

• 32 adults with RRP took part. All had needed at least two surgeries in the 12 months before treatment. Their median age was 46.5.
• 26 of them had needed three or more surgeries in the prior year (a median of 4.5) and were included in the efficacy analysis.
• 7 of those 26 (27%) needed no surgery to remove papillomas during the 12 months after treatment. The label notes this is not expected in the natural course of the disease without treatment.

The most common side effects were injection site reactions (34%), headache (19%), fatigue (16%), high blood pressure (13%), nausea (6%) and dizziness (6%). The electrical pulses can also cause brief muscle contractions, minor bleeding, anxiety or lightheadedness. The label says to avoid using the device on the same side as a pacemaker or implanted defibrillator, near metal implants, or on irritated, scarred or tattooed skin.

Some context matters. This was a small study without a control group, the other 19 of the 26 (73%) still needed at least one surgery during the year, and the confirmatory study isn't due to finish until 2031, according to the FDA's approval letter. The prescribing information does not report separate results for people living with HIV or others with weakened immune systems. Anyone with RRP who is wondering whether this treatment fits their situation should talk with their ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist.

HPV types 6 and 11: the "low-risk" types

There are many types of HPV. Doctors group them into high-risk (oncogenic) types that can cause cancer and low-risk (nononcogenic) types that can cause warts. HPV 6 and 11 are in the second group. According to CDC's STI treatment guidelines:

• They cause most genital warts: About 90% of anogenital warts are caused by HPV 6 or 11.
• They're different from cancer-causing types: CDC says the HPV types that cause genital warts are different from the types that can cause cancer.
• They can show up elsewhere: HPV 6 and 11 have also been linked to warts in the eye, nose, mouth and larynx (voice box).
• RRP is rare: NIDCD says most people who encounter HPV never develop a related illness.

What this approval does NOT mean

• It isn't a cure. The FDA says there is no cure for RRP. Voceryq is approved to reduce the need for surgery, not to clear HPV.
• It isn't a treatment for genital warts. It is approved only for adults with RRP. Genital warts have their own established treatments, which a clinician can discuss with you.
• It doesn't treat HPV-related cancers. CDC says HPV-related cancers, such as cervical, anal, penile and throat cancers, are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV types, which are different from the wart-causing types 6 and 11. Voceryq targets only HPV 6 and 11 and isn't approved for any cancer.
• It isn't a preventive vaccine. HPV vaccination is still how you prevent HPV. CDC says the 9-valent HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9) can prevent most genital warts in people who haven't yet been exposed to wart-causing types, but it won't treat existing HPV or warts. NIDCD says HPV vaccination could prevent RRP as well. If you're living with HIV, the number of doses recommended can differ; see our coverage of HPV vaccine doses for people with HIV.

HPV and dating: common and manageable

• HPV is extremely common. CDC says nearly everyone who isn't vaccinated will get HPV at some point, about 13 million Americans get a new infection each year, and about 9 in 10 infections go away on their own within 2 years. Having HPV says nothing about your character.
• Partners often share it. CDC says sex partners tend to share HPV even when only one or neither has visible warts, and genital warts can show up months or years after infection, so you usually can't tell when or from whom it came. Our guide to HPV disclosure covers how to talk about it.
• Condoms help but aren't complete protection. CDC says condoms used consistently and correctly may lower the chances of passing genital warts, but HPV can infect skin a condom doesn't cover.
• HIV can make warts more stubborn. CDC says people with HIV are more likely to develop anogenital warts, which may be larger or come back more often after treatment. Read more in HPV cancers hit harder if you're immunocompromised.
• Everyone can be affected. HPV affects people of every gender; see HPV in men: what you need to know. CDC says cervical cancer is the only HPV-related cancer with routine screening, so many people never learn they have HPV; STD Testing 101 explains what common tests can miss.
• Date on your own terms. Share health details when you're ready; disclosure expectations and legal duties differ by state. When meeting someone new, meet in a public place, verify who they are, and make sure every step is consensual.

Quick FAQ

Is Voceryq a cure for HPV?
No. The FDA says there is no cure for RRP. Voceryq is approved to reduce how often adults with RRP need surgery, and in the main study 7 of 26 people needed no surgery for a year after treatment.

Can I get Voceryq for genital warts?
It is approved only for adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Talk with a clinician about the established treatments for genital warts.

Can you get RRP from oral sex?
NIDCD says the virus is thought to spread through sexual contact or from a parent with genital warts to a baby during childbirth, but scientists don't fully understand why only some people develop RRP. It remains rare. If you have persistent hoarseness or breathing changes, see a clinician.

Does the HPV vaccine protect against HPV 6 and 11?
Yes. The 9-valent HPV vaccine used in the U.S. (Gardasil 9) is designed to protect against types 6 and 11 along with seven high-risk types. CDC says it can prevent most genital warts in people not yet exposed to those types, but it doesn't treat an existing infection. Ask your provider whether vaccination makes sense for you.

The bottom line

The FDA's accelerated approval of Voceryq gives adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis a new option that uses the immune system to fight HPV 6 and 11, the virus types behind the disease. It is the first U.S. approval of a plasmid DNA-based immunotherapy, but it's not a cure, it rests on a small study, and its benefit still has to be confirmed. It doesn't change how genital warts or HPV-related cancers are treated, and vaccination remains the way to prevent HPV. For daters, the message is familiar: HPV is common, usually clears on its own and is manageable. If you're looking for people who understand life with HPV, herpes or HIV, explore STD dating on MeetPositives.

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "FDA Approves First Plasmid DNA-based Immunotherapy for Adults with Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis." October 30, 2026.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. VOCERYQ Prescribing Information and Accelerated BLA Approval Letter (BLA 125825), October 30, 2026.
• Inovio Pharmaceuticals. "INOVIO Announces FDA Accelerated Approval of VOCERYQ." October 30, 2026.
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. "Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis or Laryngeal Papillomatosis."
• CDC. Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021: "Anogenital Warts."
• CDC. "About HPV" (July 3, 2024).

This article is for general information only and is not medical or legal advice. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Talk with a licensed health care provider about your own situation. Laws vary by state; for legal questions, talk with a licensed attorney.