The Cost of Life: Battling for Affordable CF Treatment Worldwide

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published draft guidance stating that Orkambi and Kaftrio, gene-therapy drugs that have significantly improved the prognosis of people with cystic fibrosis (CF), are too expensive and are no longer recommended for use on the NHS. The cost of a month's supply of Kaftrio is £8,346.30 before VAT. If Nice upholds its recommendation, children under six years old and those born after them will not be able to access the drugs, potentially leaving their future uncertain. The author calls for an alternative solution, such as issuing a compulsory Crown use license to secure an affordable, generic version of the drugs for NHS patients.