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A cystic fibrosis (CF) combination therapy can lead to patients safely reducing the use of four chronic respiratory therapies, study results have suggested.
Publishing their findings in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis on 29 November 2025, researchers found that Kaftrio (elexacaftor + tezacaftor + ivacaftor [ETI]; Vertex Pharmaceuticals) — a CF transmembrane conductance regulator modulator — enabled US patients to reduce their use of inhaled antibiotics, hypertonic saline, dornase alfa and azithromycin.
Researchers analysed the data of 579 participants aged 12 years and older and 124 patients aged between 6 and 11 years who were initiated on the combination therapy and monitored up for up to 54 months.
Of those patients aged 12 years and older, the mean number of chronic therapies they had to take reduced from a mean of 2.6 down to 1.4 after 54 months, the researchers found.
Those patients aged between 6 and 11 years, who were followed for 36 months, demonstrated a mean chronic therapy reduction from 1.9 to 1.3.
The study authors noted that the findings represented a “sustained decrease” in respiratory treatment burden.
According to Cystic Fibrosis Trust data, as of 2024, there were more than 11,000 people in the UK with CF.
Scott Sagel, lead author of the study and professor of paediatric pulmonary medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, said: “For decades, people with CF have spent hours every day managing their disease. Our findings show that many have stepped back from some of those time-consuming therapies thanks to ETI.
“Seeing people maintain good health while doing fewer respiratory therapies is incredibly encouraging. A reduction in treatment burden can have a profound impact on quality of life.”
Keith Brownlee, director of medical affairs at Cystic Fibrosis Trust, commented: “As more people with CF start benefiting from modulator therapies, studies like this help us start to understand whether reducing their other treatments could be an option in the future.
“Managing CF and its symptoms is time consuming, with our surveys showing that, on average, people are taking more than 30 tablets and spending over three-and-a-half hours on treatments every day. But it’s very important that people with CF speak to their CF team before considering any changes to their treatments.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended Kaftrio for NHS use in June 2024.
