ORKAMBI – What is the way forward and could more CF suffers be benefiting?
It is thought that there are 420 patients taking Orkambi sponsored by Vertex in the UK, but there is a potential of 3200 children and adults who could benefit at this point in the UK. It is not compatible with all patients, but there is a large percentage that could be helped by using it.
We know the Vertex costs have been reduced to £100,000 and the NICE and CFT talks failed and are at a standstill…
Take a look at this link, it tells you a bit more about how Orkambi works…
https://www.orkambi.com/how-orkambi-works
18.4.18: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43849586
24.6.18: USA: How much does Orkambi cost?
That’s the quandary over Orkambi, a drug that was approved in 2015 for cystic fibrosis and was only the second ever to address the underlying cause of the genetic disease. Orkambi, which is sold by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, costs $272,000 a year, but has been shown to only modestly help patients.
Some other interesting articles on Orkambi:
24 Jun 2018: A Drug Costs $272,000 a Year. Not So Fast, Says New York State …
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/24/health/drug-prices-orkambi-new-york.html
9.8.18: http://www.pharmatimes.com/news/vertex,_nhs_england_no_closer_to_orkambi_settlement_1243572
We will keep you posted on all developments as they happen…