The Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland is being urged to
approve a revolutionary new drug, that will benefit certain
sufferers of cystic fibrosis. The new drug, called Kalydeco,
treats the G551D mutation – nicknamed the ‘Celtic gene’. Up to
1,100 people in Europe and 100 in Ireland possess the ‘Celtic
gene.' It is incredibly expensive, close to $300,000 for a
year’s supply, which makes it imperative that governments buy
it. “Kalydeco is one of the most important advances in the
treatment of cystic fibrosis since the discovery of the CF gene
in 1989. By treating the underlying cause of the disease in
people with the G551D mutation, Kalydeco helped them breathe
more easily, gain weight and resulted in certain improvements in
quality of life, "Stuart Elborn, MD, Kalydeco investigator and
President of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society said. It has
already been approved by the drug regulators in the US and
Europe, but Irish health regulators have yet to give it the go
ahead. Manufactured by Vertex, the d