CF facts and figures

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease. The treatment of CF has changed dramatically with the advent of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapies that address the underlying cause of the disease.

 

 

>20 years

At Vertex, we have worked for more than 20 years to design, discover and develop medicines to treat the underlying cause of CF.  
 

>92,000

It is estimated that over 92,000 people have been diagnosed with CF across the U.S., Europe, Australia and Canada, which based on the genetics of the disease represents a significant majority of the global CF population.
 

~13,000

Beyond the U.S., Europe, Australia and Canada, based on published data there are an estimated additional 13,000 people diagnosed with CF, primarily residing in the Middle East and Latin  America1.
 

~90%

Today, our medicines are suitable for approximately 90% of people living with CF. 
 

>68,000

Through formal reimbursement agreements and other forms of access, such as named patient sales, Vertex medicines are currently treating close to 68,000 patients, representing more than 2/3 of people diagnosed with CF who are eligible for a CFTR modulator therapy.
 

99%

In the U.S., our CF medicines are broadly reimbursed through insurance, with more than 99% of eligible patients having access through public and private insurance.
 

>60

Outside of the U.S., our CF medicines are accessible in more than 60 countries across sixcontinents. 

Countries with access to date as of August 2024: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England and British overseas territories, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France and French overseas territories, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, San Marino, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Wales.* 

We are committed to making our CF medicines accessible to patients around the world who can benefit from them, by expanding access to our medicines by geography, by age, and by genotype. 
 

>50

We have formal broad access agreements for our most recently approved medicine in more than 50 countries around the world, including those with the highest unmet medical need.  

>200

Since 2022, we signed more than 200 reimbursement agreements, most of them faster than the industry average in the respective country. In many cases, we have portfolio agreements covering future medicines and indications yet to be approved.  

>6,600

More than 6,600 people with CF have been given access to Vertex CFTR modulators at one time free of charge as part of compassionate use/managed access programs worldwide.  

12

We’ve made  our  donated medicines  available at no cost to  patients in  lower income countries on four  continents where access challenges are significant.  Currently the pilot donation program includes 12 countries, and  we are in the process of expanding to additional countries including India and Pakistan.  We believe that donating medicines with the support of an experienced partner  is the fastest, safest and most reliable way to provide our innovative CF therapies to people with CF in these countries.  Our pilot program was designed to ensure that our medicines are prescribed and utilized appropriately to help ensure patient safety. This includes proper diagnosis, ongoing treatment, monitoring and continued pharmacovigilance. 

Eligible countries currently included in donation program as of August 2024: Egypt, El Salvador, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Ukraine.   

3/5

Three out of every five Vertex employees work in research and development, and we dedicate a majority of our overall operating expenses to R&D to find better medicines and new approaches that could help those not eligible for current therapies.   

 

 


1 Rubin J.L. and Kreindler J.L. 2024. Letter to the editor: A contemporary assessment of CFTR modulator use and eligibility. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, S1569-1993(24)00028-6 

*Disclaimer: Not all therapies and all indications are reimbursed in all listed countries. In some countries, access is granted without regulatory approval in place. This list does not include the countries where Vertex is carrying out pilot donation programs. 

These data points reflect facts as of August 2024.