Simon Best, M.D.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is a rare, chronic airway disease caused by HPV infection and characterized by recurrent benign growths that can significantly affect voice and breathing. For decades, care for RRP relied almost exclusively on repeated surgical interventions — an approach that managed symptoms but did not alter the underlying disease process.

At Johns Hopkins, laryngologist Simon Best is helping to lead a transformation in RRP care. He is principal investigator for multisite clinical trials that target the underlying cause of the disease, and he is spearheading operational efforts to make these new treatments available to patients once they are approved.

In August 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to zopapogene imadenovec-drba, a new vector-based immunotherapy treatment designed to directly target the HPV-driven cause of RRP rather than repeatedly addressing tumor regrowth through surgery.

Clinical data published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine demonstrated durable reductions in disease recurrence, with patients remaining surgery-free for many years following treatment. Johns Hopkins patients participated in the clinical trial, which was coordinated by Best in his role as the Johns Hopkins principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) trial.

When the new treatment was approved, Best started working with Johns Hopkins leadership to ensure it would be available to patients — Johns Hopkins patients began receiving the new treatment in March 2026.

A key contributor to the development of zopapogene imadenovec-drba is Clint Allen, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Johns Hopkins, who led the clinical trial at the NIH. Allen’s NIH-based work generated foundational evidence demonstrating that targeted immunotherapy could meaningfully alter the course of RRP.

Even with this groundbreaking treatment available, Best is committed to ensuring his patients with RRP continue to have access to the latest innovations. He is serving as the principal investigator for another clinical trial that evaluates a DNA plasmid-approach immunotherapy designed to elicit an antigen-specific T-cell response against HPV, the underlying cause of RRP.

To refer a patient who has RRP, call 443-997-6467.