Families have welcomed a deal which will make two “life-changing” cystic fibrosis drugs available to eligible patients in Scotland.
A five-year agreement has been reached between the Scottish government and pharmaceutical company Vertex over the use of Orkambi and Symkevi.
The drugs improve lung health but were rejected for NHS use recently because they were not deemed cost-effective. The medication normally costs £100,000 per patient per year but the Scottish government said it had secured a “confidential discount” from the manufacturer. Patients in other parts of the UK are not able to access the treatment.
Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic condition that causes fatal lung damage and affects about 10,400 people in the UK – around 900 of whom are in Scotland.
