BC Government Approves Trikafta to Treat Cystic Fibrosis in Children Ages 6 to 11 – My Comox Valley Now

BC’s NDP government confirms it will allow cystic fibrosis drug Trikafta for children ages six to 11 starting next week.

The province is acting on the recommendation of the Canadian Drug Expert Committee.

Health Secretary Adrian Dix says “living with cystic fibrosis is a daily struggle for patients and their families,” and expanding access to Trikafta for children ages six to 11 provides an additional treatment option for hundreds of children with cystic fibrosis.

Trikafta is a triple combination drug made up of ivacaftor, tezacaftor and elexacaftor and is given to people with cystic fibrosis who have at least one F508del mutation.

It has been shown to improve lung function and quality of life, and reduce the incidence of lung attacks.

A Vancouver Island woman who says Trikafta has changed her life says the drug should have been approved for use in children months ago.

Campbell River’s Kim Wood says it’s unfortunate the province waited so long while other jurisdictions approved it for children.

She says it’s important that children can start taking Trikafta as early as possible because slowing the progression of cystic fibrosis in their bodies will have a big impact later in life.

Wood says she knows the case of at least one 10-year-old girl who could have had a much more comfortable summer if she could use trikafta.

“She gets a summer when she’s 10 and she was stuck in the hospital when she could have started taking trikafta back in July when Ontario approved it and she could have had a completely different summer.”

Wood adds that the upcoming children’s cold and flu season would have been very different if it had been approved in July.

She says fall is a very different time for people with cystic fibrosis because it is cold and flu season.

“A common cold affects us much harder than the average person, and if she could have gotten her health back to a healthier point at the start of cold and flu season, she would have been a lot better off going to her school. ”

Wood says she recently celebrated a milestone she wasn’t sure she would reach — her 40th birthday.

She started taking Trikafta two years ago while it was being tested and was amazed at the difference it was making.

Wood says that after a few days of using the drug, she was blown away by how clearly she could inhale, completely unrestricted: “It was like I could, I took a deep breath and just felt like I could go forever and forever.”

She began to feel other changes as more oxygen reached other parts of her body.

Wood says her body has changed in so many positive ways that it took her some time to realize all the physical improvements that were taking place.

Cystic fibrosis is a rare, life-threatening disease in which thick mucus builds up in the lungs, digestive tract, and other parts of the body.

It causes severe respiratory and digestive problems, as well as other complications like infections and diabetes.

Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Kim Steele calls Trikafta “the greatest single innovation in the history of cystic fibrosis.”

She says it’s often thought of as a lung disease but actually creates thick, sticky mucus throughout the body and causes problems in the pancreas, lungs and liver.

Steel says slowing the progression of symptoms improves recipients’ overall physical health.

Cystic Fibrosis Canada says families are encouraged to speak with their clinic to determine eligibility for trikafta and the next steps they need to take.

The province says Trikafta is covered by the BC Expensive Orphan Drugs Process, which allows patients to access expensive orphan drugs on a case-by-case basis.

It is said that around 150 people in BC are currently benefiting from Trikafta PharmaCare insurance.