Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis: Vertex Acquires Concert’s CFTR Potentiator CTP-656
Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently purchased the Phase 2 cystic fibrosis potentiator drug CTP-656 from Concert Pharmaceuticals. The deal is estimated to be worth $250 million dollars. CTP-656 is intended to be a longer-acting, once daily version of Vertex’s drug ivacaftor, which aims to restore CFTR function in treatment for Cystic Fibrosis. …
Does Ivacaftor Affect Lung Bacteria in Cystic Fibrosis?
Ivacaftor has been shown to increase CFTR activity and lung function in people with Cystic Fibrosis and the G551D mutation, but until a recent study, scientists were not sure if ivacaftor changed the level of bacteria in the lungs. The results of a deeper study on ivacaftor have been published, …
Pulmozyme May Extend Lives of People Without Cystic Fibrosis
Pulmozyme might be able to extend the lives of people who don’t have CF according to a recent article in Science Daily, “Fighting age-related fibrosis to keep organs young.” Since it was approved by the FDA in 1993, Pulmozyme (dornase alpha or DNase) has been used by many people with …
A Day with Portable Genomics for Cystic Fibrosis management
Using the Portable Genomics App CFtechnology and Portable Genomics are proud to create a partnership using a new, customizable app! In the Digital Age, it is no surprise that apps are finding their way into the medical field. Technology is everywhere, so why not harness the power of …
Miracle Flights: free medically-related air travel for ill patients, including for Cystic Fibrosis treatment
Struggling to cover the cost of air travel to receive your medical care? Miracle Flights assists patients through free commercial air travel to obtain special medical care. Read more about this fantastic organization and how to apply below… Blog article written in conjunction with Brooke Freeman, Community Outreach Officer …
CFTR Function and Cigarette Smoke
Scientists are looking at how the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator) potentiator, Ivacaftor, might be used in COPD, specifically chronic bronchitis. They found that cigarette smoking reduces CFTR activity in lung tissue, and that exposing the lung cells directly to a CFTR potentiator reverses this effect. While the vast …
(Cystic Fibrosis Diabetes) First FDA approved artificial pancreas and other 2016 Digital health highlights
The “What We Learnt in Digital Health in 2016” article (by Bertalan Meskó, MD, PhD) takes a look at the successes, failures and challenges in the field of digital health in 2016 and provides an interesting view on some current trends. The first FDA-approved artificial pancreas is mentioned (which may be of interest …
Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor longer trial on Heterozygous F508del Cystic Fibrosis Patients
At the end of November, the results of a clinical trial of Lumacaftor/Ivacaftor, also known as Orkambi, in CF patients with one F508Del mutation were published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. A past trial for Orkambi in this type of CF patient (heterozygous F508del) lasted 28 days …
Think INSIDE the box for easier inhaled treatments – cystic fibrosis treatment
It’s taken me a long time, but I finally have a ‘system’ that has made inhaled treatments easier to keep up with. Background In childhood, I was very compliant with the CF treatments, as my parents helped me. I didn’t need to think about it; it just happened. In my late …
Redesigning Prescription Medication Inserts
Six everyday items were re-imagined by designers in this week’s New York Times Magazine. A data visualization firm, Periscopic, and Thomas Goetz of Iodine, a health information website, created a more informative and easier to understand prescription medication insert that can be viewed here (scroll down the page to find …