Vertex facing pressures to cut prices on both sides of Atlantic

30 April 2018

The lead developer of drugs for cystic fibrosis (CF) is under pressure to slash the price of Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor), the first drug directed at treating the cause of the disease in people who have two copies of the F508del mutation, accounting for around 45% of cases.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: VRTX) faces a test of its negotiating powers in both the USA and the UK after authorities balked at the price set by the US biotech.

"There’s lots of work to do on both sides to progress discussions as quickly as possible"

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