Rob Neville of Savara Pharmaceuticals discusses his company’s cystic fibrosis program. Savara initiated its pivotal Phase 3 AVAIL Study of AeroVanc for the treatment of MRSA in Cystic Fibrosis patients in Q3 2017. There are about 30,000 people living with cystic fibrosis in the United States.
Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic disease characterized by thick, sticky mucus in the lungs and chronic lung infections resulting in gradual loss of lung function. The most prevalent lung pathogen in cystic fibrosis patients is Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is commonly treated using inhaled antibiotics. In recent years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacterium that is resistant to conventional antibiotics, has become increasingly common, with a prevalence of almost 30% of the U.S. cystic fibrosis patient population. Recent publications indicate that cystic fibrosis patients with chronic MRSA infection have more hospitalizations, faster decline in lung function, and reduced life expectancy.
