Patrícia Silva, PhD,  director of science content—

Baby Bridget, born on June 27th, became the first baby conceived in Ireland using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a technique used to screen embryos for genetic mutations such as cystic fibrosis (CF). Despite the fact that both parents have genetics that, when combined, can lead to CF in their children, baby…

In the wake of recent promising clinical results, Vertex Therapeutics announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the approval of the drug Kalydeco (ivacaftor) for patients with cystic fibrosis who are more than 18  years old and…

Hemolung Respiratory Assist System (RAS) is an innovative Pittsburgh-made, dialysis-like alternative or supplement to mechanical ventilation that is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but is gaining several positive opinions in the United States, following the promising results when used on an American terminal patient suffering from…

Drug developer Pharmaxis has announced that the company’s medication for cystic fibrosis, Bronchitol, was included in the shortlist for the UK Prix Galien Orphan Drug Award, an internationally-recognized prize that distinguishes technical, scientific, and clinical research skills necessary to develop innovative medicines. The therapies in the competition will be analyzed…

In the wake of positive news about new combination therapies involving the Vertex drug Kalydeco (ivacaftor) for people with cystic fibrosis (CF), the drug recently received a positive recommendation for approval by the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for patients aged…

Half of the adults who suffer from cystic fibrosis (CF) are infected with the aspergillus fungus, according to medical data from CF patients in 30 different countries. Not only is the discovery a surprise, as the findings may be relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of the rare genetic…

lev radin / Shutterstock.com An initiative organized last Saturday to support the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio raised $2 million for its cystic fibrosis and pulmonary programs, a historic amount for the event. The 10th annual Celestial Ball at the Duke Energy Convention Center brought…

A drug derived from Norwegian seaweed may help increase the life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis, which currently averages about 40 years. The Norwegian company AlgiPharma presented OligoG at the 37th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden recently, revealing…

Bernstein Research analyst Geoff Porges advised investors about the probability of failure of the Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ experimental cystic fibrosis (CF) therapy, as he returned from the European Cystic Fibrosis Society conference in Sweden. Although test results of the combination of Kalydeco and VX-809 – Traffic and Transport has been eagerly…

Clinical-stage biotech company Galapagos, which is based in Belgium, has announced positive results of a Phase II clinical trial for two oral drugs designed to treat the main mutations in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, including F508del and G551D. AbbVie has been working in collaboration with Galapagos in order to further the development…