text_1: New drug ‘big deal’ in cystic fibrosis fight
text_2: More than 20 years after researchers identified the genetic mutation responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF), a treatment aimed at the cause of the disease, rather than its effects, has shown it can improve lung function and some other measures in patients with a rare form of the disease. While this story accurately reports key drug trial results and provides some context, it falls short in important ways by failing to note that there is not yet evidence the drug is safe for life-long use or can extend lives; and that it is unlikely to cure CF by itself. The story doesn’t tell readers that drug is likely to come with an extremely high price tag. It fails to note that the CF Foundation, whose CEO is prominently quoted touting the drug, has funded the drug’s development and may stand to profit from its sales. Cystic fibrosis affects only about 70,000 people worldwide, but it is the most common lethal genetic disease in whites, slowly destroying their lungs and other organs. Since the primary CF mutation was identified in 1989, researchers have sought a treatment that would correct the underlying defect. As the story reports, this trial is an important proof of concept; it is a ‘big deal’ in the decades-long effort to find a treatment for the genetic defect underlying CF. Nevertheless, it is important to highlight the long, hard road traveled to reach this point and the years of work ahead that will be needed to determine if this sort of treatment can lengthen the lives of typical CF patients.