News

The effects of CFTR modulator therapies such as Kalydeco (ivacaftor) can be more reliably assessed using a test that specifically measures the sweating dependent on CFTR, called C-sweat rate, than using classic sweat tests or lung function measurements, a study reports. This kind of test was sensitive enough to reveal that…

Wrist-worn monitoring devices are an acceptable method of objectively tracking the levels of physical activity of children and young people with cystic fibrosis (CF), a study reports. The study, “A Formative Study Exploring Perceptions of Physical Activity and Physical Activity Monitoring Among Children and Young People with Cystic Fibrosis…

A recent study confirmed the presence of increased serum levels of interleukin-7 (IL-7) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, compared with healthy controls. The researchers could establish a link between higher IL-7 levels and worse lung function in patients, suggesting a possible biomarker for CF. The study, “Higher…

Air Next, a small, simple-to-use handheld spirometer, could transform cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment, allowing patients to monitor their own lung function at home and share the results remotely with their healthcare team. Air Next connects via Bluetooth to a user-friendly smartphone app called Aria. Both Air Next spirometer and the Aria…

Aridis Pharmaceuticals is planning to launch a Phase 1/2a clinical trial in the beginning of 2019 to evaluate the potential of its investigational antibacterial compound AR-501 (gallium citrate) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This follows the approval of the Investigational New Drug application for AR-501 by…

Preschoolers with cystic fibrosis (CF) treated with inhaled hypertonic saline in a clinical trial showed significant improvement in lung function, PARI, the company whose solution and equipment was used in the study, reports. The Saline Hypertonic in Preschoolers (SHIP) study (NCT02378467) examined the effectiveness of treatment with 7% hypertonic saline…

It’s one of the ironies of cystic fibrosis (CF) conferences that the patients who most urgently need the information are discouraged from attending for fear of cross-contamination. Under infection control guidelines published by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), only one CF patient may be in a room at a…

For the second year in a row, Mastercard ranks as the largest corporate sponsor of the Greater New York chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). This year alone, Mastercard has raised more than $90,000 from the Great Strides walk, and supported other CFF events such as the…

Researchers at West Virginia University (WVU) are working to develop a vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the highly treatment-resistant bacteria that are a frequent cause of chronic lung infection and damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. P. aeruginosa is considered a serious health threat by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) because of its…

Kalydeco (ivacaftor) by Vertex Pharmaceuticals has been approved in the European Union for children ages 1-2 with cystic fibrosis (CF) who carry at least one of nine mutations in the CFTR gene — G551D, G1244E, G1349D, G178R, G551S, S1251N, S1255P, S549N, or S549R — that prevent the CFTR chloride channel from working properly. “For the first time, EU physicians can now treat the…