Decision on CF drug will fall to next government

Philip Watt, chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland Pic: RollingNews.ie

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has made a submission to the state’s cost-effectiveness watchdog for the approval of its cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi.

The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) is due to make a recommendation on whether the state should fund the new drug before the end of June. Cystic Fibrosis Ireland has described Orkambi as a “gamechanger” and said it would extend the lives of sufferers, who rarely live beyond their 40s.

Vertex wants to ...