
Hundreds of cystic fibrosis patients become eligible for ‘life-changing' therapy
CF is caused by a faulty gene that affects the production of a protein called CFTR.
Modulator drugs work by helping to make the CFTR protein work effectively.
NHS officials said the treatments can 'transform' life expectancy and quality of life for patients.
There are a number of modulator therapies available but some patients with the rarest forms of the disease have been unable to access them until now.
Nice approved Alyftrek, which is known as a triple therapy, for patients aged six and over for the most common form of CF as an alternative to another treatment called Kaftrio.
And NHS England announced that the treatment would also be made available for children and adults with rare forms of cystic fibrosis, who have not previously been eligible for modulator therapy.
NHS England said the move allows patients with the rarest form of the disease to access the latest treatments, including Alyftrek and Kaftrio, for the first time.
It said that 95% of people with cystic fibrosis in England will now be eligible for modulator therapy.
The new drug, also known as vanza triple, has been found to be as effective as current drug Kaftrio in clinical trials in improving and maintaining lung function in people with CF.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved the triple combination medicine – which is also known as deutivacaftor/tezacaftor/vanzacaftor – for use in the UK, for certain patients with CF over the age of six, in March.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system which leads to breathing difficulties and serious infections.
John Stewart, NHS England's director for specialised commissioning, said: 'This is a major leap forward for hundreds of patients living with the rarest forms of cystic fibrosis, offering fresh hope of a better quality of life.
'Access to a once-daily treatment at home can make an enormous difference to patients and their families – reducing the burden of hospital appointments and allowing children and young people to live more freely and independently.
'For those living with the rarest forms of the condition, this represents the very first time they will be able to access this new standard of care that has been so transformative for many since 2019.
'The rollout of this life-changing therapy demonstrates how the NHS continues to embrace innovation to deliver significant improvements in care for patients across the country at a fair price for the taxpayer.'
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, said: 'CFTR modulators are already revolutionising the way cystic fibrosis is treated so we're pleased to be able to recommend Alyftrek, the latest of this type of treatment that has been shown to be effective, with significant benefits for people with the condition.'
David Ramsden, chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: 'Today's announcements are another positive step in the journey to better treatments for everyone with cystic fibrosis – a lifelong, life-limiting condition without a cure.
'It's thanks to the incredible support and many years of campaigning of the CF community, and the work of all our partners, that modulator drugs are now a treatment option for thousands of people.'
Ludovic Fenaux, senior vice president at Vertex International, said the move 'represents a significant milestone in our journey to serially innovate and further improve the lives of people living with this disease'.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Mounjaro could help obese people control asthma says study
As an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK are now using weight loss drugs. A number of types of the drug are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS, including semaglutide, or Wegovy, and tirzepatide, or Mounjaro. Weight-loss jabs, also known as glucagon-like peptide1 receptor-agonists (GLP1-RAs), work by mimicing the hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. They were initially developed as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have suggested the drugs may slash the risk of illnesses like dementia and stroke, with an international team of experts exploring their potential impact on obese people with asthma. Professor David Price, University of Aberdeen chair in primary care respiratory medicine, said: 'People with obesity and asthma are unique in that they are often resistant to steroid treatments. 'We know that GLP1s work on inflammatory responses in the airways in a different way to traditionally used steroids.' For the study, published in Advances in Therapy, researchers analysed the records of 10,111 people on GLP1-RAs and 50,555 people who were not on the drugs. 📢Important update Eligible people in #Dorset will be able to access Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) weight management medication from autumn 2025. ✅Around 1,000 people in Dorset will qualify under strict national criteria ✅No need to contact your doctor More: — NHS Dorset (@NHSDorset) June 23, 2025 After a follow-up period, the team found that those taking weight-loss jabs lost more weight and had improved asthma control. Researchers said the findings suggest medics 'should pay attention to the relationship between GLP-1 RA and the risk of respiratory diseases'. Prof Price added: 'We found compelling evidence that GLP1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms. 'In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9kg over the course of the year. 'Our findings suggest that GLP1s may have beneficial effects on asthma control for people with obesity and this should be explored further.' Prof Alan Kaplan, chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, said: 'Our findings suggest that GLP1-RAs have benefits on asthma control in people with obesity, and this information should contribute to the discussions around the decision to use these drugs.' Dr Erika Kennington, head of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said: 'Research has previously shown that people living with obesity who lose weight see improved control of their asthma, so it's encouraging to see this study show this is still the case when the weight loss is driven by drugs, like the new class of weight loss drugs. 'Although exercise can help people lose weight, for some people it can cause anxiety about becoming breathless or having an asthma attack, so people are stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able to lose weight and their asthma worsening. Recommended reading: 'Therefore, where exercise hasn't worked for someone these drugs that support weight loss could offer a promising alternative. 'It's too early to say whether these drugs would be effective for people with asthma more widely. 'More research is needed to understand how these drugs actually improve asthma control. Funding for lung health research is on life support and urgent action is needed to increase investment.' Who is eligible for Mounjaro on the NHS? At the moment, the rules are very strict, and treatment is being rolled out gradually by NHS England. NICE has recommended tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight management for eligible adults living with obesity, who also present with other weight-related health problems, including: dyslipidaemia (abnormal fat levels in the blood) hypertension (high blood pressure) obstructive sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep) cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel disease) type 2 diabetes mellitus Speak to your doctor for more information.

South Wales Argus
3 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Weight-loss jabs could help obese people control asthma, study suggests
The drugs should be explored as a potential treatment for obese people with the respiratory condition, who are 'often resistant' to steroids, researchers said. Weight-loss jabs, also known as glucagon-like peptide1 receptor-agonists (GLP1-RAs), work by mimicing the hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. They were initially developed as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. A number of types of the drug are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS, including semaglutide, or Wegovy, and tirzepatide, or Mounjaro. Previous studies have suggested the drugs may slash the risk of illnesses like dementia and stroke, with an international team of experts exploring their potential impact on obese people with asthma. Professor David Price, University of Aberdeen chair in primary care respiratory medicine, said: 'People with obesity and asthma are unique in that they are often resistant to steroid treatments. 'We know that GLP1s work on inflammatory responses in the airways in a different way to traditionally used steroids.' For the study, published in Advances in Therapy, researchers analysed the records of 10,111 people on GLP1-RAs and 50,555 people who were not on the drugs. After a follow-up period, the team found that those taking weight-loss jabs lost more weight and had improved asthma control. Researchers said the findings suggest medics 'should pay attention to the relationship between GLP-1 RA and the risk of respiratory diseases'. Prof Price added: 'We found compelling evidence that GLP1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms. 'In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9kg over the course of the year. 'Our findings suggest that GLP1s may have beneficial effects on asthma control for people with obesity and this should be explored further.' Prof Alan Kaplan, chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, said: 'Our findings suggest that GLP1-RAs have benefits on asthma control in people with obesity, and this information should contribute to the discussions around the decision to use these drugs.' Dr Erika Kennington, head of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said: 'Research has previously shown that people living with obesity who lose weight see improved control of their asthma, so it's encouraging to see this study show this is still the case when the weight loss is driven by drugs, like the new class of weight loss drugs. 'Although exercise can help people lose weight, for some people it can cause anxiety about becoming breathless or having an asthma attack, so people are stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able to lose weight and their asthma worsening. 'Therefore, where exercise hasn't worked for someone these drugs that support weight loss could offer a promising alternative. 'It's too early to say whether these drugs would be effective for people with asthma more widely. 'More research is needed to understand how these drugs actually improve asthma control. Funding for lung health research is on life support and urgent action is needed to increase investment.'

Rhyl Journal
4 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Weight-loss jabs could help obese people control asthma, study suggests
The drugs should be explored as a potential treatment for obese people with the respiratory condition, who are 'often resistant' to steroids, researchers said. Weight-loss jabs, also known as glucagon-like peptide1 receptor-agonists (GLP1-RAs), work by mimicing the hormone GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels. They were initially developed as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. A number of types of the drug are recommended to help tackle obesity on the NHS, including semaglutide, or Wegovy, and tirzepatide, or Mounjaro. Previous studies have suggested the drugs may slash the risk of illnesses like dementia and stroke, with an international team of experts exploring their potential impact on obese people with asthma. Professor David Price, University of Aberdeen chair in primary care respiratory medicine, said: 'People with obesity and asthma are unique in that they are often resistant to steroid treatments. 'We know that GLP1s work on inflammatory responses in the airways in a different way to traditionally used steroids.' For the study, published in Advances in Therapy, researchers analysed the records of 10,111 people on GLP1-RAs and 50,555 people who were not on the drugs. After a follow-up period, the team found that those taking weight-loss jabs lost more weight and had improved asthma control. Researchers said the findings suggest medics 'should pay attention to the relationship between GLP-1 RA and the risk of respiratory diseases'. Prof Price added: 'We found compelling evidence that GLP1s, as well as increasing weight loss, also improved asthma symptoms. 'In addition, it is important to note that the benefits to asthma symptoms occurred despite fairly modest weight loss of around 0.9kg over the course of the year. 'Our findings suggest that GLP1s may have beneficial effects on asthma control for people with obesity and this should be explored further.' Prof Alan Kaplan, chairperson of the Family Physician Airways Group of Canada and the Observational and Pragmatic Research Institute, said: 'Our findings suggest that GLP1-RAs have benefits on asthma control in people with obesity, and this information should contribute to the discussions around the decision to use these drugs.' Dr Erika Kennington, head of research and innovation at Asthma and Lung UK, said: 'Research has previously shown that people living with obesity who lose weight see improved control of their asthma, so it's encouraging to see this study show this is still the case when the weight loss is driven by drugs, like the new class of weight loss drugs. 'Although exercise can help people lose weight, for some people it can cause anxiety about becoming breathless or having an asthma attack, so people are stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able to lose weight and their asthma worsening. 'Therefore, where exercise hasn't worked for someone these drugs that support weight loss could offer a promising alternative. 'It's too early to say whether these drugs would be effective for people with asthma more widely. 'More research is needed to understand how these drugs actually improve asthma control. Funding for lung health research is on life support and urgent action is needed to increase investment.'