Cystic fibrosis ‘wonderdrug’ could save State money

The National Centre for Pharmaeconomics (NCPE) is seeking a five-fold reduction in the cost of the cystic fibrosis (CF) drug Orkambi.

This follows its recommendation that the drug not be funded by the HSE at its current annual cost of €159,000 per patient.

However, Jillian McNulty, a CF campaigner who has been taking the drug for three years as part of a trial, says the health service would actually save money by funding the drug, even at the current cost.