Both sides urged to reach cystic fibrosis drug deal

Cystic fibrosis sufferers have urged the HSE and pharmaceutical company Vertex to clinch a deal on new drug Orkambi after it emerged yesterday that Germany was the latest country to begin providing it to patients.

Vertex announced it had reached a pricing and reimbursement agreement for Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) with the German Federal Association of the Statutory Health Insurances, ahead of an expected meeting today with the HSE to further discuss the possibility of its provision here to patients.

Negotiations stalled last month amid speculation the HSE was prepared to drop plans to purchase it as the price quoted by Vertex was too high. It sparked alarm from CF sufferers, some of whom are already accessing the drug under different schemes.