Health Canada has granted priority review to Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ application seeking the approval of Kalydeco (ivacaftor) to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, ages 4 months to 18 years, carrying the R117H mutation in the CFTR gene. The intended label extension is for patients who weigh at least 5 kilograms…

I was evaluated for my bilateral lung transplant in March 2019. I was transplanted on June 14, 2019, and graduated from physical therapy two months after that. Although transplant facts are more accessible today than in the past, many patients remain in the dark, so I’ll tell you about…

A non-invasive ultrasound imaging technique may be able to detect changes in the pancreas of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and aid in an early diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI — which occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough digestive enzymes — a Turkish study suggests.

Scientists using phage therapy — specifically a bacteriophage they dubbed “Muddy” — successfully treated an infection by an antibiotic-resistant strain of Mycobacterium abscessus bacteria in a zebrafish model of cystic fibrosis (CF). For five days, the team treated the zebrafish, which were infected with M. abscessus, a lung-damaging bacteria…

“What should I write my column about?” This is what I asked my Tiny Dancer the other day, while mass-prepping as many columns as possible before having surgery on my cervical spine. This is my third spine surgery in less than a year. You’ll likely be reading this…