NHS England has today (Tuesday 15 July) announced it is to roll-out a new 'triple combination' therapy for hundreds of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
Alyftrek is the latest in a new generation of therapies to be made available on the NHS to help treat the underlying cause of CF, transforming life expectancy and quality of life for patients.
Five years ago NHS England was given the green light to begin prescribing another type of 'triple combination' therapy, Kaftrio, which has a transformative effect on the lives of many patients. However Kaftrio is only suitable for approximately 90% of CF patients.
This new drug is predicted to help half of the remaining 10% of CF patients, as well as providing an alternative treatment option for other patients with different gene mutations who may not have seen the same results using Kaftrio as others.
Ellie (22) is a cystic fibrosis patient under the care of Royal Papworth Hospital
Someone who hopes to benefit from this announcement is Ellie (22), who is under the care of our cystic fibrosis team at Royal Papworth Hospital.
She has taken Kaftrio since 2020 with mixed results so is keen to see what Alyftrek could mean for her.
She said: “Kaftrio has helped me maintain my health, but I still get ill and it hasn’t improved my lung function in the same way that I know it has for others.
“Living with cystic fibrosis means I can’t do as much as other people my age can and I’m often out of breath, especially when I’m unwell.
“I’ve also had a number of admissions into Royal Papworth for treatment over the past couple of years, each of which lasts a couple of weeks.
“Until I see what my body’s reaction is to Alyftrek I’ll remain slightly apprehensive. However my hope is that it will help improve my lung function, increase my energy and allow me and others living with rarer gene types of cystic fibrosis to live a more normal life.
“Ultimately I may yet need a lung transplant, but treatment with Alyftrek could mean putting off those conversations and thoughts for some years.”