When patients have a serious disease and the underlying cause is known, hope exists of creating a transformative therapy. Each disease is different, however, and so requires a specific and bespoke solution. At Vertex, we don’t have a hammer and go looking for nails — where we see patients in need we try to gather and/or invent whatever tools are needed to create a potential transformative therapy.

In our new podcast series Targeting the Toughest Diseases, we partnered with Bloomberg Media Studios to share more about the innovative strategy, tools, methods and philosophy that propel our search for potential treatments and hopefully even cures.

In each episode you’ll hear from patients living with a serious disease, and how scientists and doctors, including outside experts, are working to create innovative paths to therapy. You’ll hear about the serious diseases Vertex is studying — cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, APOL-1 mediated kidney disease, pain, type 1 diabetes, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. You’ll hear about the history of each condition: for example, the connection between sickle cell disease and malaria, and how the ancient Egyptians detected type 1 diabetes using ants. You’ll hear how new technologies are being applied to potentially treat type 1 diabetes or to fight sickle cell disease. And most importantly, you’ll hear from patients what living with these conditions is like. Their stories are at the heart of everything we do.  

At Vertex we are relentless in our quest to improve the lives of people living with serious diseases. We always say that drug discovery is the ultimate team sport, and we are building a great team to tackle some of the hardest problems in medicine. I hope you’ll take the time to listen and subscribe to Targeting the Toughest Diseases – and learn more about the patients we seek to serve and the science that underlies our approach.