Vertex Announces Availability of Cystic Fibrosis Medicine KALYDECO® (ivacaftor) in New Zealand

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[{"type":"text","content":" LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that KALYDECO® (ivacaftor) will be available to eligible patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in New Zealand from March 1. Clinicians are able to apply for patient access using the exceptional circumstances framework set up by the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (PHARMAC).\n\n\n“Today is an important day for the CF community in New Zealand. For the first time in New Zealand CF patients will have access to a medicine that treats the underlying cause of their disease. We appreciate the engagement and collaboration from PHARMAC, and other involved parties, to bring this important medicine to patients,” said Ludovic Fenaux, Senior Vice President, Vertex International.\n\n\nVertex’s CF medicines are reimbursed in more than 20 countries around the world including Australia, France, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the U.S.\n\n\nAbout Cystic Fibrosis\n\n\nCystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease affecting approximately 75,000 people worldwide. CF is a progressive, multi-system disease that affects the lungs, liver, GI tract, sinuses, sweat glands, pancreas and reproductive tract. CF is caused by a defective and/or missing CFTR protein resulting from mutations in the CFTR gene. Children must inherit two defective CFTR genes — one from each parent — to have CF. While there are many different types of CFTR mutations that can cause the disease, the vast majority of all people with CF have at least one F508del mutation. These mutations, which can be determined by a genetic test, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working or too few CFTR proteins at the cell surface. The defective function and/or absence of CFTR protein results in poor flow of salt and water into and out of the cell in a number of organs. In the lungs, this leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage in many patients that eventually leads to death. The median age of death is in the early 30s.\n\n\nAbout KALYDECO® (ivacaftor)\n\n\nIvacaftor is the first medicine to treat the underlying cause of CF in people with specific mutations in the CFTR gene. Known as a CFTR potentiator, ivacaftor is an oral medicine designed to keep CFTR p...

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