February 7, 2010

Charities Move Into Role Traditionally Held by Drug Companies

Charities Move Into Role Traditionally Held by Drug Companies 1

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

A collaboration between the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Vertex Pharmaceuticals has led to two promising drug treatments that are now in clinical trials.

By Nicole Wallace

Roughly 30,000 people in the United States have cystic fibrosis. Worldwide the total is just 70,000.

Such a small number of potential customers means big pharmaceutical companies can’t afford the risk of spending large amounts of money to conduct research that may or may not lead to new treatments.

Which is why the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation decided to get into the drug-development business itself, and now many other health charities are following its lead.

Since

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