News

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced that it welcomes the recent creation of a Cystic Fibrosis Caucus in the U.S. Senate, several years after a similar caucus was established in the lower branch of the U.S. Congress, the House of Representatives. The foundation also thanked the bipartisan work of two…

Pulmatrix, Inc.’s chief scientific officer, Dr. David L. Hava, described in an article recent advances in drug delivery strategies — such as nebulizers for inhaled delivery  — that are helping to treat bacterial and fungal lung infections, and are particularly relevant to people with diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF). The article, “…

AmpliPhi Biosciences, a biotech company focused on the development and commercialization of novel bacteriophage-based antibacterial therapeutics, recently presented new data at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases about the in vitro and in vivo activity of its investigational phage mix AB-PA01. Chronic lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are a major…

TGV-Inhalonix announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug designation to its antimicrobial agent as a possible treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacterial lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Mul-1867 is a nebulized solution designed for easy self-administration. According to the company, it is the first inhaled antimicrobial being developed…

New research from the University of Iowa’s Pappajohn Biomedical Institute (PBI) suggested that the sticky mucus found in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is more viscous than usual because the thin layer coating the airways is more acidic in these people, a finding that supports a current therapeutic approach for CF. The study, “Acidic…

Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (Technische Universiteit Eindhoven-TU/e), in the Netherlands, have developed a device that takes in water at one end and ‘pumps’ it to the other, maintaining the flow without external power. This so-called ‘sweat sensor’ could be a useful tool in assessing certain conditions,…

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with a fungal infection caused by Scedosporium apiospermum may have a clinical presentation resembling plastic bronchitis. A case report presents this unusual scenario, alerting clinicians to consider such fungus infection when encountering similar cases. Plastic bronchitis is characterized by a dysfunctional flow of lymph fluid, leading to the…

Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp. announced that the first commercial sales of Quinsair (levofloxacin inhalation solution), a treatment for adults with cystic fibrosis, have been made in Denmark and Germany. Quinsair is an antibiotic for the twice-daily treatment of long-term lung infection caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). P. aeruginosa is…

The UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) recently reminded parents that families in need of financial help to manage their children’s healthcare demands can apply for grants from the foundation. The grants cover both medical services and equipment, and may be of great help to many families raising children with…

Ivacaftor (Kalydeco) treatment improves airway flexibility and capacity in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to the results of a study, “Acute administration of ivacaftor to people with cystic fibrosis and a G551D-CFTR mutation reveals smooth muscle abnormalities,” published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation…