Phoenix, Arizona to Host Annual Cystic Fibrosis Conference from October 8 to 10

Thousands of health professionals, disease experts, advocates, investors, and even patients and their families will be flocking to the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona this coming weekend, beginning Thursday, October 8 to Saturday, October 10, 2015 for the 29th Annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC). The event’s sponsor, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is expecting over 4,000 attendees during its annual conference, making it the largest interactive CF forum of its kind in the world.

Convention attendees will be gathering for comprehensive and up-to-date discussions on treatment breakthroughs, drug development, and local and international efforts to help combat CF and improve the lives of patients and their families. Other topics include:

• Personalized medicine as a powerful tool for addressing the large number of mutations that cause cystic fibrosis;
• Mental health as an emerging concern for chronic diseases including CF, and the publication of new screening and treatment guidelines for depression and anxiety;
• Meeting the challenge of increasing the participation of people with CF in clinical research as unprecedented numbers of clinical trials are underway worldwide; and
• New frontiers in science: Developing more effective treatments and finding a one-time cure for all people with CF.

2015 has been a big year for cystic fibrosis research and development. In July 2015, Vertex’s combination CF therapy Orkambi (Lumacaftor/ivacaftor) was approved by US the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating cystic fibrosis patients over the age of 12 who have the F508del mutation. The approval of the drug, which was based on compelling clinical trial data, opened up a new therapeutic option for those with the prevalent F508del mutation. This major development, along with other important steps, are bound to frame the discussion at this year’s conference.

The conference will also make exclusive interviews possible for the media and attendees, including one with the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Preston W. Campbell III, M.D.

To learn more about the conference and how to register, you can get in touch with Laurie Fink, the national director of media relations at (301) 841-2602; [email protected]. You can also visit the conference website here: https://www.nacfconference.org.