Experts at the Trust were delighted when NHS England announced it had agreed funding for the precision medicines Orkambi and Symkevi for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) in October 2019.
Reacting to the news, the directors of the Trust’s cystic fibrosis teams, Dr Ian Balfour-Lynn and Dr Susan Madge, said in a joint statement: “This is a breakthrough and will undoubtedly make a significant difference to many of our patients. We will work hard to determine how we can provide these medicines as soon as possible.”
Royal Brompton’s paediatric and adult CF centres treat almost 1,000 people with the disease each year.
Both medicines have been shown to slow the decline in lung function and reduce hospital admissions. There are 8,200 children and adults with cystic fibrosis living in England and approximately 4,400 will potentially benefit from these drugs.