In adolescent and adult patients with cystic fibrosis taking lumacaftor-ivacaftor (ORKAMBI®), the combination drug appears to improve lung function and body weight and reduce the need for intravenous antibiotic treatment, according to a French study published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
However, nearly one in five patients could not tolerate treatment, most often due to adverse breathing events, during one year of follow up. The rate of discontinuation was considerably higher than previously reported in clinical trials, the authors wrote.