News

This week marks the launch of the “7,000 Mile Rare Movement,” a nationwide effort to raise money for research into the 7,000 known rare diseases that afflict at least 30 million Americans. The campaign kicks off Feb. 1 and culminates with Rare Disease Day on Feb. 28. Organized by…

Volatile molecules present in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients may help identify those infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The study, “Volatile molecules from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid can ‘rule-in’ Pseudomonas aeruginosa and ‘rule-out’ Staphylococcus aureus infections in cystic fibrosis patients,” appeared in the journal Scientific Reports. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one…

More than half of British babies born with cystic fibrosis today will reach the age of 50, according to a new forecasting method. The same is true of CF patients who have reached the age of 30 today, researchers said. Reaching 30 is a milestone that signals another 20 years of…

Humanigen’s anti-inflammatory therapy KB001-A is safe but only modestly effective in cystic fibrosis patients with a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria infection, a Phase 2 clinical trial indicates. In addition to displaying limited ability to decrease markers of patients’ lung inflammation, it failed to generate substantial decreases in their bacteria levels or improvements in their…

An independent review board has given a green light to Anthera Pharmaceuticals continuing a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating Sollpura’s (lipromatase’s) ability to treat a cystic fibrosis-related digestive disorder. It was the second time that the Data Monitoring Committee had decided that interim findings were good enough for the…

Hill-Rom, which produces the Monarch Airway Clearance System for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and other diseases, has put its product on a “temporary shipping hold” as it scrambles to affix labels to 60 of the devices. According to a Class 2 recall notice posted by…

AIT Therapeutics’ nitric oxide mist led to a 65 percent reduction in cystic fibrosis patients’ airway bacteria and an improvement in their exercise capability 60 days after treatment, a Phase 2 clinical trial shows. The bacteria that the nitric oxide countered was the Mycobacterium abscessus complex. The exercise-capability yardstick researchers…

Changes in bacteria present in the lower respiratory tract during the first years of life may be indicative of early progression of lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The finding was reported in the study, “…

A therapy whose developers say could revolutionize the battle against antibiotic-resistant lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients eliminated resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a lab, a study reports. The finding dealt with Synspira’s polycationic glycopolymer SNSP113 as a stand-alone treatment. The study also showed that the therapy increased the punch of antibiotics used to counter…

Dr. Beth A. Smith with the University at Buffalo has received a mental healthcare award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for her work in advancing the understanding and care of mental health in cystic fibrosis — regarding both the prevalence of depression among patients and its impact on…