CFI warmly welcomes the news from the Health Minister in Northern Ireland, Robin Swann, MLA, that Kaftrio (previously known as Trikafta) will be made available to all eligble people with CF in Northern Ireland.

Click here to read the statement.

This follows on similar news for England and Wales in recent weeks, with Scotland likely to approve Kaftrio shortly.  

This will mean that all eligible patients with CF in Ireland, north and south, will gain access to Kaftrio at roughly the same time in Quarter 3, 2020 (CFI estimate) - once Kaftrio has been given final approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). 

In approving Kaftrio in advance of the usually required Health Technology Assessment (HTA), the UK has in effect adopted an aspect of the ‘fast-track’ approach to the approval of Kaftrio similar to that adopted by the Irish Government/HSE in the ‘Orkambi drug pipeline/portfolio deal’ of 2017 that is supported by CFI.   

Other aspects of the innovative 2017 deal between Vertex and the HSE have since been adopted by other countries, including for example Denmark which like Ireland, made an agreement with Vertex for current and future CF drug therapies in October 2018, including for CFTR drugs Orkambi and Symdeco and subsequent extensions of these and the Kalydeco drug therapies.  

CFI once again sends our congratulations to our colleagues in the CF Trust in the UK who have been campaigning for these new and innovative CFTR drugs over the past 3 years. UK patients will now be eligible to the same CFTR drugs that will be available in Ireland.  

Philip Watt
CEO
CFI 

Note: Although the UK withdrew from the EU on 31 January 2020, there is a period of transition that will last until the end of 2020 during which EU pharmaceutical law will continue to be applicable to the UK , including Northern Ireland.