Vertex Pharma (VRTX) Announces European Commission Approves KAFTRIO in Combination With Ivacaftor to Treat Cystic Fibrosis in People Ages 12 Years and Older

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for KAFTRIO® (ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor) in a combination regimen with ivacaftor to treat people with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 12 years and older with one F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation (F/MF), or two F508del mutations (F/F) in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

For the first time, up to 10,000 people in Europe ages 12 years and older with CF who have one F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation will be eligible for a CFTR modulator that treats the underlying cause of the disease. Approval of the triple combination regimen also expands the number of treatment options available to people ages 12 years and older with CF who have two copies of the F508del mutation, the most common CF-causing mutation worldwide.

“Today is a significant day for those with CF, their families and Vertex, and one that brings us one step closer towards our ultimate goal of discovering and developing treatments for all patients with CF,” said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President, Vertex. “I would like to thank our dedicated scientists, as well as study investigators and people with CF who participated in our clinical trials to enable this innovative medicine to be approved in Europe today. Without their commitment, this milestone would not have been possible.”

As a result of long-term reimbursement agreements in England, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland, and provisions for access in health care systems such as Germany, eligible patients in these countries will have access to the triple combination regimen in the upcoming weeks. Vertex is committed to working closely with national health authorities and governments in all other countries in Europe to secure access for eligible patients as quickly as possible.

Marketing authorization was based on the results of two global Phase 3 studies, which showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in lung function (primary endpoint) and all key secondary endpoints, in people with CF ages 12 years and older with one F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation or two F508del mutations in the CFTR gene. The triple combination regimen was generally well tolerated in both studies.

“The triple combination regimen has been shown to have a major impact on several outcome measures in people with CF,” said Professor Harry Heijerman, Professor and Head of the Department of Pulmonology at University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands. “The clinical data showed significant improvements in lung function and other important measures, such as sweat chloride levels and quality of life as measured by the CFQ-R respiratory domain score, in patients treated with the triple combination therapy. I now look forward to seeing the impact of the medicine in clinical practice.”

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