Republic Of Ireland Approves Funding For KALYDECO™ (ivacaftor), The First Medicine To Treat The Underlying Cause Of Cystic Fibrosis, For People With A Specific Genetic Mutation (G551D)

Ivacaftor can cause serious adverse reactions including abdominal pain and high liver enzymes in the blood. The most common side effects associated with ivacaftor include headache; upper respiratory tract infection (the common cold), including sore throat, nasal or sinus congestion, and runny nose; stomach (abdominal) pain; diarrhea; rash; and dizziness. These are not all the possible side effects of ivacaftor. A list of the adverse reactions can be found in the full product labeling for each country where ivacaftor is approved. Patients should tell their healthcare providers about any side effect that bothers them or doesn't go away.

Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information for KALYDECO at  www.KALYDECO.com, the EU Summary of Product Characteristics for KALYDECO at http://goo.gl/N3Tz4, and the KALYDECO Canadian Product Monograph at www.vrtx.ca.

About Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease affecting approximately 70,000 people worldwide, including 30,000 people in the United States, 35,000 in Europe, 4,000 in Canada and nearly 3,000 in Australia. Today, the median predicted age of survival for a person with CF is approximately 37 years in the United States, about 40 years in Europe and 48 years in Canada, but the median age of death remains in the mid-20s.

There are more than 1,800 known mutations in the CFTR gene. Some of these mutations, which can be determined by a genetic, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working or too few CFTR protein at the cell surface. The absence of working CFTR protein results in poor flow of salt and water into and out of the cell in a number of organs, including the lungs. This leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage.

Collaborative History with Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. (CFFT)

Vertex initiated its CF research program in 1998 as part of a collaboration with CFFT, the non-profit drug discovery and development affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in the U.S. This collaboration was expanded to support the accelerated discovery and development of Vertex’s CFTR modulators.

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