New hope in battle to find cystic fibrosis cure
- Experts say combining three drugs has major positive impact on lung condition
- Two agents helped slow down lung damage in 40% of cystic fibrosis patients
- Adding third element produces similar benefits in up to 90 per cent of patients
Mail on Sunday Reporter
1
View
comments
Cystic fibrosis sufferers have been given hope by a radical new treatment that could save thousands of people from an early death.
Scientists have found that combining three drugs has a major positive impact on the lung condition.
Researchers had earlier achieved success in combining two agents, which helped slow down lung damage in 40 per cent of cystic fibrosis patients.
Cystic fibrosis sufferers have been given hope by a radical new treatment that could save thousands of people from an early death (file photo)
-
Kidney stones are worse than childbirth, say mothers who…
The fantastic five! From a 17-year-old girl with an axe in…
-
As a mum I’m one tough mudder: Ben Fogle’s wife on why she…
Now they have shown that adding a third element produces similar benefits in up to 90 per cent of patients.
Drugs company Vertex, behind the research, said the results were ‘clear and compelling, indicating significant potential benefit’.
Cystic fibrosis affects 10,000 people in the UK – among them former PM Gordon Brown’s son, Fraser, 11. Sufferers’ lungs produce too much mucus, leading to scarring, and they often require transplants.
Scientists have found that combining three drugs has a major positive impact on the lung condition (file photo)
Life expectancy has been growing, but half die before the age of 41.
Professor Jane Davies, honorary consultant in paediatric medicine at London’s Royal Brompton Hospital, said if the ‘very, very early’ results held up in further trials, and the method proved to be safe, the triple-therapies could be used in ‘between 70 and 90 per cent of patients globally’.
Beyond larger trials, the next hurdle is cost. One of the drugs, Orkambi, has a ‘list price’ of £104,000 per patient per year and is not yet available on the NHS.
Share or comment on this article
-
Home Alone actor John Heard is found dead in hotel six… -
Harry and Wills hadn’t seen Diana for a MONTH before her… -
Treasure chest with £100MILLION of Nazi gold is found by… -
Ruined in under a fortnight: Travellers dump 250 TONNES… -
TV producer behind David Attenborough documentaries tells… -
British tourists are frogmarched NAKED along a beach in… -
‘Backpacking bride’ who wrote a book after travelling the… -
Corbyn admits he had no idea how much it would cost when… -
German girl, 16, who ran away to join ISIS was found with… -
Woman who met R. Kelly backstage when she was 20 tells… -
Making of a Superman: As Britain’s Chris Froome wins a… -
‘Historical accuracy… how dare they!’ US film critic is… -
Mom and dad arrested after ‘giving their heroin-addicted… -
‘She was a sex slave’: Woman reveals how she was raped by… -
Horror as NINE people die after being found in a… -
Shocking cell phone footage shows a driver viciously… -
‘Time bomb’ alert for 1.9m on interest-only home loans:… -
‘Life gave me the gift of you’: Heartwarming moment…
Comments 1
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Close
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.