Vertex Pharmaceuticals has announced a reimbursement agreement with NHS England for its cystic fibrosis (CF) medicine, Alyftrek (deutivacaftor/tezacaftor/vanzacaftor).

This follows a positive final draft recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Alyftrek is a triple-combination therapy for CF and targets the defective protein responsible for the condition, aiming to alleviate symptoms.

It is licensed for individuals aged six years and above with at least one F508del mutation or another responsive mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.

Clinical trials indicate that Alyftrek is comparably effective to Kaftrio in enhancing lung function in individuals aged 12 years and older with CF caused by a F508del mutation.

The NICE has endorsed Alyftrek as an alternative to Kaftrio for patients with this common mutation.

NHS England's agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals now extends access to include children and adults with rarer forms of CF. These individuals were previously ineligible for modulator therapies.

Vertex International senior vice-president Ludovic Fenaux stated: “We’re proud that Alyftrek, our fifth CF medicine, is available today as another treatment option for all eligible CF patients in England. It represents a significant milestone in our journey to serially innovate and further improve the lives of people living with this disease.

“In our pivotal studies, Alyftrek demonstrated the potential for even better outcomes for patients than Kaftrio (ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor). We’re pleased to have reached this agreement with NHS England that recognises the value that this new medicine brings to CF patients, their families and society.”

The European regulatory approval has already enabled patient access in Ireland, Denmark and Germany as the first countries within the European Union (EU) to offer Alyftrek.