Vertex says cystic fibrosis drugs shown to boost lung function

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc on Thursday said a combination of its cystic fibrosis drug Kalydeco and an experimental compound was shown to improve lung function in a mid-stage trial, sending its shares up nearly 8 percent. The study found that treatment with Kalydeco and the experimental drug VX-661 for 28 days resulted in a 4.6 percentage point improvement in mean lung function for patients with two specific genetic mutations. If eventually approved by regulators, VX-661 would be the second drug from Vertex that works by treating the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis, a rare genetic disease that impairs the lungs and digestive system.



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