Author Archives: Santiago Gisler

Expression of a peptide called RpoN* in antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients made the bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics and reduced virulence in a roundworm infection model, a study has found. The study, “Blocking RpoN reduces virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic…

The incidence rate of cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) has remained stable over time, according to a Canadian multi-center registry study. According to the researchers, these findings contrast with increasing incidence rates observed for type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the general…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Kalydeco (ivacaftor) for the treatment of infants from six to 12 months old, who have cystic fibrosis (CF) and at least one mutation in the CFTR gene, announced the therapy’s developer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. With the potential to treat the underlying…

Physical and signaling interactions between two pathogen groups that often affect patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) — Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria and Scedosporium fungi — result in a growth effect (inhibition or enhancement) of these microorganisms, according to an in vitro study. CF therapies such as antibiotics or corticosteroids also affected the growth of the fungi, the…

The not-for-profit organization TB Alliance will receive up to $5.1 million from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) to advance the discovery and development of treatments for multidrug-resistant nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). TB Alliance will partner with Johns Hopkins University over the next three years…

The early-stage venture capital fund AmorChem has entered an agreement with Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) and TransferTech Sherbrooke, in Canada, to optimize the antibiotic tomatidine for treating infections associated with cystic fibrosis (CF). Tomatidine is a naturally occurring product that can be extracted from tomatoes. Previous findings have…

A higher incidence of liver disease was found in people with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the U.K., according to a large cohort registry study. As liver disease is the third leading cause of death in CF patients, researchers also reported that treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid showed potential benefits in…

An experimental large sugar molecule called poly (acetyl, arginyl) glucosamine, or PAAG, was able to disrupt treatment-resistant biofilms formed by Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria extracted from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to a study. The study, “In Vitro Activity of a Novel…

Savara Pharmaceuticals has launched a Phase 2a clinical study to evaluate the effectiveness of Molgradex in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with chronic nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung infections. Molgradex is an inhaled form of artificially produced human protein granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which normally is produced and secreted by…

Costs for approved cystic fibrosis (CF) treatments and new approvals — including therapies extended to more age groups or targeting new mutations — could double in price, according to pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) Prime Therapeutics. The cost increases could result in higher premiums for Prime members. According to…