Vertex strikes agreement with Australia for cystic fibrosis pill, ending high-profile standoff

Vertex reached an agreement on Sunday to sell its newest cystic fibrosis drug in Australia, ending a high-profile standoff over access to a life-altering but expensive rare disease drug.

As with most agreements between drugmakers and national payment systems, Vertex and the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme didn’t say how much. But they said it will give 2,200 CF patients in the country access to Trikafta, the pill shown to dramatically improve lung function in 90% of CF patients, including 700 who weren’t eligible for previous Vertex drugs because of their particular genetic mutations.