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Sick children under 12 years old needing a lung transplant, and who were previously almost totally dependent on lung donations from other children, can now have broader access to donated organs from adults, thanks to a new decision from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Adolescent donation protocol will…

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…

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has been grabbing headlines recently related to its revolutionary cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco (ivacaftor), which is currently approved for people with CF aged 6 and older who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

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…

Greek researchers at Athens University Medical School and Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital uncovered psychosocial vulnerability in children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis. A study of 36 cystic fibrosis patients, aged 8-18 years, and 31 healthy, age-matched control participants revealed that cystic fibrosis patients have a greater difficulty establishing friendships and…

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…

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced Monday that it has signed a letter of intent with the pan-Canadian Pricing Alliance (pCPA) to enable public reimbursement of Kalydeco (ivacaftor) drug therapy for treatment of eligible Canadians ages 6 and older with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have the G551D gene…

Last Wednesday, the 37th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference gathered leading CF caregivers and researchers in Gothenburg, Sweden. The four-day program included seminars, round table talks, Meet the Expert sessions, and a physiotherapy short course, in order to facilitate acquisition and distribution of new knowledge and research in…