‘Caught in the middle’: A battle between Vertex and insurers is leaving cystic fibrosis patients with crushing drug costs

A growing number of cystic fibrosis patients and their families, however, may soon encounter similar issues thanks to a grinding, behind-the-scenes struggle that is taking place between pharmaceutical companies and health insurers across the U.S. in response to the rising cost of prescription medicines.

But the decision by Vertex to reduce its annual copay assistance for its cystic fibrosis treatments — in this case, from approximately $100,000 a year to $20,000 — has greatly upped the ante.