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NEW VERTEX DRUG!

anonymous

New member
Are any of you excited about the new drug that Vertex is developing?

In January CFF funded them with 22 million, and today they announced they will give Vertex another 12 million.

SEEMS LIKE CFF has huge expectations for this drug that would basically correct the protein channel defect on a molecular level.

Its only been through pre-clinical trials, but im sure beginning to have a little hope.

Barry

son Derek 2 w/ CF
 

thelizardqueen

New member
I agree with Amy. I won't believe anything until I see it. I was told when they found the gene that I would be cured by the time I was 18-19. I'm 24 years old and still waiting. I was even told less then 10 years ago that I would probably be cured no later then 30. Man - that's 5 years away, so I'll see what happens.
 

EnergyGal

New member
I do agree with you all. I will be happy when I see it, hopefully when I am still alive.

By the way Liz, I love your picture. Your expression is just perfect. IT makes me smile all the time.
 

Faust

New member
I was told when I was 10 that by the time I graduated college, I would really like checking out womens butts. I didn't think it would be true, but they were dead on!
 

anonymous

New member
I needed a laugh and I got one. Thank you Amy and Sean

Here is to <img src="i/expressions/wine.gif" border="0"> Hilarious folks= T.G.I.F<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0">
 

Brad

New member
I do understand why every body has the wait and See's


I have seen CFF back away from a lot of drugs over the years.

I have never seen them with such huge expectations that would
make them put that kind of money behind it , ( twice )....
I had heard of the reserch about 10 years ago.
All I (WE ) do is HOPE<<<


I was never told that a cure would be found in my life time,
 

CowTown

New member
I have a very pessimistic thought right now. Do you think in the eyes of those who profit, would they really *ever* want to find a cure? I wonder if that is like an industry joke or something. To think some company could profit huge on curing 30,000 people in the US, 3,000 in Canada plus the numbers everywhere (I don't know them), but then the game for them would be over. Do you think this would ever play a role? What an aweful thought, but I guess you never really know what's going on behind closed doors.

The thought of actually being cured is incredible. Talk about a dream.
 

anonymous

New member
I think the word Cure has many meanings. I think there are several cures for different ailments. There is always going to be competition among genetic biotech companies to make a better product. I think the word control is what we are aiming for but I should only speak for myself. I feel a good control would be a great start
Risa
 

anonymous

New member
I think the word Cure has many meanings. I think there are several cures for different ailments. There is always going to be competition among genetic biotech companies to make a better product. I think the word control is what we are aiming for but I should only speak for myself. I feel a good control would be a great start
Risa
 

Faust

New member
I'm trying to remember the actual Chris Rock quotes...But the coments by everyone else illustrates the point. The point being, there is no money in the cure, there is massive money in the disease/treatment of symptoms. If there was real money in actual cures for a disease, why would a company put out real massive amounts of money to fund any form or research, unless the companies founder had a mom who died of say ovarian cancer or something else? It's all profit guys. Hate to break it to you, but that's how it goes. It's even worse for people like us who 30,000 are afflicted with the disease in the entire country. We are designated an "Orphan disease" by the pharmaceutical companies. You know what that means? That means unless there is a drug that can be created with very little investment, and if that drug doesn't ease symptoms that all of those 30,000 will have, there is no point in trying to develope it.

The CFF helps a ton, but there is still only so much they can do. It will ALWAYS come down to $$$...And just from a simple economics perspective, if there are 30,000 people with a particular "orphan disease", and in the best possible scenario for your company, if you could get no more than say 4 million per year if there was total compliance with your drug, and it would take 90 million to develope this drug, if you were the CEO, would you seriously even give the nod to go forward?

It is ALL about the least possible investment, and then after you get past the different trials, and the FDA, you have already spent a BOATLOAD on all of these aspects. Now ask yourself as just a financial incentive, wouldn't you want your drug to treat the symptoms properly, meaning they will always need to take your drug...Or would you seriously want to "cure" them of their disease?

The profit is in the symtoms of the disease, not the cure of the disease. Remember that guys.
 

shinkdew

New member
I think your argument is a little flawed. It is a good argument for why big pharma companies will not find a cure. But, there are tons of small biotech companies who only focus on orphan diseases because they know they don't have the resourses to work on cures or treatments for mainstream diseases. There is a ton of money to be made for a company or person finding a cure for CF. First, if a company does find a cure, a bidding war between big pharma would immediately start to either buy the said company or strike a licensing deal with the company to distribute the new drug. Second, they people who found the drug would be hailed as heros in the science community and make a ton of cash writing books, giving lectures on how they just saved a load of people with CF. There is a ton of money to be made with a CF cure. That said, I don't think they will ever find a cure, mainly because they would more than likely have to find an individualized cure for every person with CF. Most drugs now on the market work differently for different CFers. And all CFers are different in their symptoms and reactions to drugs, so I'd think it'd be near impossible for a company to come up a wonder drug that would cure every person with CF.
 
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