Posted by Michael Wonder on 11 Mar 2019
Cystic fibrosis breakthrough: vital drug could be made available as early as next month
8 March 2019 - A wonder drug that could dramatically improve the lives of thousands of cystic fibrosis patients may be available to use next month if a funding deadlock is broken, it emerged yesterday.
If successful, patients could have access to the ground-breaking drug, Orkambi, within four weeks. It marks a significant step forward for the Daily Express crusade for the ‘life-changing’ medicine to be made available to those with the genetic disorder. Negotiations between NHS England, NICE and Vertex have been dragging on for three years in what has become an increasingly bad-tempered public row.
NICE has ruled the price of the drug is too high, but Vertex says the NHS is already asking for a huge discount.
