Daniela Semedo, PhD,  —

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Moderna Therapeutics recently entered a three-year research partnership and licensing agreement to discover and develop the messenger ribonucleic acid, trademarked as (mRNA) Therapeutics, for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). The alliance between the two companies will center on usimg mRNA drugs to treat the CF  at its core, by…

Pulmatrix recently released an educational, animated video to raise awareness of problematic complex lung diseases and to describe encouraging new dry treatment options for patients with lung conditions including cystic fibrosis (CF). The video can be watched here: [ir.pulmatrix.com] It begins “Everyday you take over 20,000 breaths. Imagine if everyone of…

The Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF), dedicated to increasing awareness, education, and quality of life for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), recently celebrated the 60th birthday of the organization’s CF Ambassador and double lung transplant survivor Jerry Cahill. Cahill, who was told by doctors that he would likely not pass age 16, proves that…

In March, the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued a draft guidance against recommending Orkambi (lumacaftor-ivacaftor marketed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals) for treating cystic fibrosis (CF). The agency’s independent appraisal committee concluded that the cost of Orkambi was considerably higher than the current standard of care, and it could not be…

International Biophysics Corporation recently received CE Mark, Health Canada, and Australian TGA approval for AffloVest, allowing the company to sell and market the vest in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and in countries using the CE mark. The AffloVest is a portable high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) vest that promotes airway…

TGV-inhalonix reported clinical findings at the European Cystic Fibrosis Conference recently Basel, Switzerland, that show the potential of a new drug to treat mixed bacterial and fungal lung infections contracted by patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The data presented by George Tetz, scientific and development advisor of TGV-inhalonix, indicated that Mul-1867…

Swiss Pharmaceutical company Polyphor has successfully completed its Phase I clinical trial in healthy volunteers for the investigational inhaled POL6014. POL6014 is a selective and reversible inhibitor of human neutrophil elastase (hNE), a key target for the treatment of respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF). Cystic fibrosis is a genetic…

The bacterium Burkholderia multivorans grows, evolves and adapts to life inside the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, according to the results of a study recently published in the journal mSystems. The study, “Long-Term Evolution of Burkholderia multivorans during a Chronic Cystic Fibrosis Infection Reveals Shifting Forces of Selection,”…

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. recently announced the recipients of its global STRIVE Awards (Strategies to Realize Innovation, Vision and Empowerment) program, which supports nonprofit associations assisting the cystic fibrosis (CF) community. The STRIVE Program recognizes the vital role patient advocacy groups play in giving voice to individuals affected by these rare…

In the cystic fibrosis (CF) community, May is an important month — one set aside by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to educate and raise awareness across the U.S. of the disease and its impact on people’s lives as part of National CF Awareness Month. Among these efforts is a highly visible window display…