24 January 2020 - PHARMAC has reached a provisional agreement with medicine supplier Vertex to fund ivacaftor (marketed as Kalydeco) for people with cystic fibrosis.

“We have been working towards this since receiving positive recommendations for funding from our clinical advisory committees,” says PHARMAC’s Chief Executive Sarah Fitt “and we are delighted to announce today that we’ve been able to reach an agreement with the supplier Vertex.”

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited life-threatening rare disorder that damages the lungs and digestive system. Ivacaftor is being considered for funding to treat those with the G551D mutation of cystic fibrosis. It will treat the disease rather than the symptoms of the disease.

Read PHARMAC press release