The All Wales Medicine Strategy Group (AWMSG) has approved
the use of the transformational precision medicine Kalydeco in Wales for three
people with one of eight rare gating mutations.
People with the G178R, S549N, S549R, G551S, G1244E, S1251N,
S1255P and G1349D mutations will now be granted access to Kalydeco, which
evidence suggests significantly increases life expectancy and drastically
reduces the amount of time people with cystic fibrosis spent in hospital.
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust made the case for this extension
of use alongside clinicians involved in the care of the three people, to bring
Wales in line with the rest of the UK, where the treatment is already available
for these mutations.
Nick Medhurst, Policy Manager at the Trust, said: ‘We warmly
welcome this decision by the AWMSG, and hope this will greatly benefit the
people in Wales with these mutations.
“We are glad to have played a part in providing evidence to
support this decision and look forward to Kalydeco being made available to
other people, so that those who could benefit will have access to the medicine
as quickly as possible.”
The Trust's Stopping the Clock campaign calls for
fairer access to precision medicines for people with cystic fibrosis.
This
news item was originally featured on our old website, dated 10/12/2015, and may have
been edited since.