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| Cystic Fibrosis (Credit: A.D.A.M. / MedlinePlus) |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals have reported that its drug "Kalydeco" has been approved by FDA for the treatment of the rare form of Cystic fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis is the disorder of lungs and digestive system.
"More than 13 years ago we set out to change the lives
of people with cystic fibrosis by developing new medicines that address the
underlying cause of this rare and devastating disease," said Jeffrey
Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Vertex's incoming President and Chief Executive Officer.
"KALYDECO represents a major advance in the treatment of cystic fibrosis
for people with a specific type of this disease. But our work isn't done. With
the ongoing support of doctors, patients and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,
we're making progress toward our ultimate goal of developing additional
medicines to help many more people with cystic fibrosis."
From Vertex Pharmaceuticals,
The approval of KALYDECO was based on data from two Phase 3 studies of people with CF who have at least one copy of the G551D mutation. Those who were treated with KALYDECO experienced significant and sustained improvements in lung function as well as other disease measures, including weight gain and certain quality of life measurements, compared to those who received placebo. People who took KALYDECO also experienced significantly fewer pulmonary exacerbations, which are periods of worsening in the signs and symptoms of the disease that often require treatment with antibiotics and hospital visits. Fewer people in the KALYDECO treatment groups discontinued treatment due to adverse events than in the placebo groups. The majority of adverse events associated with KALYDECO were mild to moderate. Adverse events commonly observed in those taking KALYDECO included headache, upper respiratory tract infection (common cold), stomach pain and diarrhea.
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