Precigen and RRPF Collaborate for RRP Awareness Day 2025
Germantown, Maryland, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant effort to heighten awareness and foster community for individuals affected by Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP), Precigen, Inc. (Nasdaq: PGEN), a leading biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative gene and cell therapies, has announced its partnership with the Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis Foundation (RRPF) to co-host the annual RRP Awareness Day on June 11, 2025.
This international event aims to unite patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals in a shared mission to encourage dialogue, promote understanding, and support one another on the challenging journey of living with RRP, a rare and debilitating disease.
RRP primarily affects both children and adults and is predominantly caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6 and 11. The viral infection leads to the formation of papillomas in both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. These growths can result in significant voice disturbances, airway obstructions, and recurrent episodes of pneumonia due to obstruction. Although the disease is classified as rare, it carries a serious risk of transformation into malignant conditions and can be fatal. Current estimates indicate that there are approximately 27,000 adult patients living with RRP in the United States and over 125,000 patients globally.
Unfortunately, there is currently no FDA-approved therapy for RRP, and the prevailing treatment method involves repeated surgical procedures to remove the papillomas. These surgeries, however, do not address the underlying viral infection and come with a high degree of morbidity. Patients may find themselves undergoing hundreds of surgeries throughout their lifetime, leading to increased risks of iatrogenic laryngeal injuries, particularly for those who require five or more surgeries.
RRP Awareness Day will feature a live event in Washington, D.C., culminating in an in-person panel discussion that includes patients, caregivers, and medical professionals. This discussion will also be available for live-streaming, allowing participants from around the world to engage in the conversation. The focus of this year's event will be to highlight the experiences and challenges faced by patients and caregivers, as well as the urgent need for new treatment options.
Kim McClellan, the Board President of RRPF, emphasized the importance of collective advocacy within the RRP community, stating, As a rare and chronic disease, a collective voice is needed to support the RRP patient community. This event provides an important platform for our community to help raise awareness about the experience and burden of living with a rare, chronic, and debilitating disease like RRP. We encourage anyone living with RRP, whether as a patient, family member, or caregiver, to join us to support our community.
Helen Sabzevari, PhD, the President and CEO of Precigen, reflected on the significance of this years event, highlighting the hope that new research and innovations bring to the RRP community. Building on last year's successful inaugural RRP Awareness Day, we are proud to join RRPF again to co-host this extraordinary event in a potentially game-changing year for RRP patients. For too long, the RRP community has lived without hope for a treatment that addresses the underlying cause of the disease and without true recognition of the devastating nature of this disease. We invite you to join us on June 11th to support the RRP community, she stated.
To keep abreast of the activities related to RRP Awareness Day and to register for the June 11th webcast, interested individuals are encouraged to visit
Angela Thompson
