Alberta among first provinces to fund new cystic fibrosis drug
Alberta has reached an agreement to provide access to Trikafta, a new drug used to treat the most common form of cystic fibrosis.
“Trikafta is the single greatest innovation in cystic fibrosis history and it has the power to transform the lives of thousands of Canadians,” Kelly Grover, president and CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada, said in a statement.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic, progressive disease that can lead to serious respiratory issues, malnutrition, and complications. About 600 Albertans are living with the disease.
Before Alberta’s deal with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to make Trikafta available to all eligible patients, the drug came with a price tag of about $390,000 a year.
“I was granted compassionate access to Trikafta in June 2020,” Amanda Bartels, a cystic fibrosis patient, said. “I went from being on oxygen and starting the process for a double lung transplant to finally taking a deep breath and fully living my life as an active wife and mom.”
“I am beyond thrilled that youth burdened with this devastating disease will be given a chance to live a much healthier life.”
The medication is approved for those 12 years and older who meet eligibility criteria.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.