Andrea Lobo, PhD, science writer —

Andrea Lobo holds a Biology degree, and a PhD in Cell Biology/Neurosciences from the University of Coimbra-Portugal, where she studied stroke biology. She was a postdoctoral and senior researcher at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health in Porto, in drug addiction, studying neuronal plasticity induced by amphetamines. As a research scientist for 19 years, Andrea participated in academic projects in multiple research fields, from stroke, gene regulation, cancer, and rare diseases. She authored multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals. She shifted towards a career in science writing and communication in 2022.

Articles by Andrea Lobo

Inogen acquires Simeox airway clearance device

Inogen has acquired Physio-Assist, including Simeox, a technology for airway clearance and mucus management in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The company will continue marketing Simeox in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, while pursuing regulatory clearance in the U.S. This acquisition will expand Inogen’s portfolio of…

High rate of infections with SCVs found in CF patients in new review

Infections with Staphylococcus aureus small colony variants, known as SCVs, are highly prevalent in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) — and linked to the previous use of the broad-spectrum antibiotic trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, a systematic literature review has found. SCVs are slow-growing bacteria that are associated with higher rates of chronic…

First CF patient dosed in US trial of gene therapy KB407

The first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of KB407, Krystal Biotech’s investigational gene therapy for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) regardless of the type of disease-causing CFTR gene mutation. The Phase 1 CORAL-1/US study (NCT05504837) is recruiting up to 20 adults with…

Bile acids in airways of toddlers with CF may predict worse disease course

The presence of intestinal metabolites called bile acids in the airways of 1-year-old children genetically diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) is significantly associated with early disease mechanisms and worse clinical outcomes, according to a study in Australia. These include increased levels of airway inflammation biomarkers, greater structural lung damage,…

Kaftrio effective in CF patients with advanced lung disease: Study

Kaftrio (elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor) safely and effectively eases structural lung damage and improves lung function and the quality of life for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have advanced lung disease. That’s according to data from a compassionate use program in the Netherlands that let patients with severely…

Patients with mental health issues benefit from lower Kaftrio dose

Reducing the dose of Kaftrio (elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor) should be considered for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who report cognitive and psychological side effects, a study in Ireland suggests. Such patients should have an individualized dosage to minimize side effects while maintaining CFTR modulator therapy. “Dose reduction…

CFF funding TB Alliance to advance potential NTM therapy

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is funding up to $3.9 million to TB Alliance to conduct preclinical studies of a compound that could be used to treat infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). These infections often require antibiotic treatment for more…