Shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: INO) soared more than 200% this morning after the company announced that the FDA approved its new DNA-based treatment designed to help patients with a rare throat disease avoid repeated surgeries.
The treatment, called Voceryq, is designed for adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a condition that causes wart-like growths in the throat and airways.
These growths can interfere with breathing and speaking. Although they're usually noncancerous, they often return after being surgically removed. Some patients require several operations every year, which can eventually damage their vocal cords.
RRP is caused primarily by two types of human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV-6 and HPV-11.
How it works
Voceryq works by training the immune system to recognize and attack cells infected with these viruses. It's a DNA-based immunotherapy delivered using a specialized device that helps the treatment enter cells.
The FDA's decision follows a clinical study of 32 adults who had undergone at least two surgeries in the year before treatment. Of the 26 patients included in the main effectiveness analysis, seven (27%) went a full year after treatment without needing another surgery. Before treatment, these patients had needed a median of 4.5 surgeries annually.
Voceryq is also the first DNA-based medicine approved by the FDA, marking a milestone for a technology researchers have spent decades developing. And, of course, shareholders have been well-rewarded.
Inovio expects to make Voceryq available for ordering and shipment within approximately 60 days, with a full commercial launch planned for early 2027.
Publication Date
November 2, 2026
Category
Healthcare / Biotech
Jeff Siegel
Senior Content Contributor
