Kalyedeco and or VX-770/809 experiences- Please share

baseballfrank

New member
If you were on a previous clinical trial with VX-770/809 combo or you are currently using Kalyedeco, can you share your experiences with the forum. Those of us who are still struggling with this dreadful disease never get tired of hearing stories of the miracle drug that is just around the corner. thank you in advance.
 

randmel89

New member
Kalydeco the miracle drug

have been on Kalydeco since last march. First off my breathing improved so much. I was at 32% lung function now I'm at 54%. I have not been on any antibiotics since being on Kalydeco. My weight has increased a bunch I weigh 200lbs now I'm 6 foot tall so the weight has me looking very healthy. My energy is outstanding. I feel so much more alive and I don't get short of breath any more like I used too. I pray everyday that all with CF will get to be in this drug. It is a miracle drug.
 

albino15

New member
It seems like there aren't many people posting updates on their experiences with this drug. I hope its just because there aren't that many people on here who are taking it and not because it wasn't all it's cracked up to be.
 

JENNYC

New member
Oh it is all it's cracked up to be!! We just have nothing new to report :) Abby has been on off-label Kalydeco since June 28, 2012. We live in TX and the cold fronts this year have been brutal and not with the cold but with bringing allergens in!! So she has been sick along with everyone else every time a cold front blows in....the difference.....she gets over it!! March 1st will be 1 year since she has been in the hospital!!! I still can't believe it...Abby is one that goes in twice a year ever since diagnosed at 2!! She has had 15 surgeries mainly sinus...she had a constant sniffle and cough due to the sinus drainage. Now she only coughs and sniffles when she is sick!! We went to a family renunion last weekend and everyone kept coming up and saying I haven't heard Abby cough at all....that's amazing!! This mom was smiling ear to ear!! Her before stats were this: FEV1 - 1.41, BMI - 49%, she cultured MRSA for 2 to 3 years and sweat chloride of above 100 (we tested twice but their machine would not read over 100 so we are not sure of her exact #'s, we do know that when she was 2 it was 109).....ok so now the new and improved Abby: FEV1 at clinic was 1.47(but she has been sick with allergies and RSV and Rhino virus every time we went in :(), at home the highest I saw on her Piko 1 was 1.62, her BMI - 59%, she no longer cultures MRSA, and her sweat chloride is 88 and 91. Now the RSV dropped her PFT to 99% and had her coughing a lot but.....she fought it and the Rhino virus off on her own at the same time!!! That would have for sure landed us in the hospital before!!! She is so much healthier!! The bad thing for us is that her Dr doesn't believe us and doesn't care to hear her improvements...it is so disheartening...but he is one of the best in TX. He is letting her stay on it and is taking care of her it just breaks our hearts because we thought he really cared about her and he has just totally shut off the personal side where before it was great :( He basically comes in does the vital check up part and listens to problems but doesn't care to hear the good. Well we have an appt with him on March 1st which is our 1 year anniversary for hospital stay....and you better bet I am going to bring it up....and I pray these cold fronts are gone by then and he can see the PFT's that I saw at home!! I am not sure what the future holds but we are going to keep going to him until he does something to jeopardize her health just because I do think they are the best in TX. Of course we as her parents see the difference and are beside ourselves...but when someone else notices it still brings chills up my spine! Now having said all of that I know that it is not doing for her what it is doing for all of those lucky ones who have the right mutation....but God has blessed us...because I can't imagine going back to the way things were. She is so much healthier than before!!! It is real folks!!! And they will get our "cure". God is so good!!! He has all of these wonderful people fighting for us!!!
 

baseballfrank

New member
that is fantastic. I am curious. Are you still on enzymes? do you still do breathing treatments? How much of your old regiment has been eliminated? do you find that your mucos volume has decreased a lot?. I am so happy for you!
 

JENNYC

New member
Since Abby does not have the right mutation...it is only a helper for her...but a huge helper. She has a lot less mucus but still does all of the same regimens that we did before. She still takes the same amount of enzymes and all of the same breathing treatments that she did before. It is just helping us patiently wait for our "cure" :)
 

jmiller1

New member
Hi Jennyc - I sent you a pm... And if you're like me you go days (weeks) without noticing so I thought I would send ya a post too :) but you're prob more on top of it than me :)
 

rmotion

New member
Oh it is all it's cracked up to be!! We just have nothing new to report :) Abby has been on off-label Kalydeco since June 28, 2012. We live in TX and the cold fronts this year have been brutal and not with the cold but with bringing allergens in!! So she has been sick along with everyone else every time a cold front blows in....the difference.....she gets over it!! March 1st will be 1 year since she has been in the hospital!!! I still can't believe it...Abby is one that goes in twice a year ever since diagnosed at 2!! She has had 15 surgeries mainly sinus...she had a constant sniffle and cough due to the sinus drainage. Now she only coughs and sniffles when she is sick!! We went to a family renunion last weekend and everyone kept coming up and saying I haven't heard Abby cough at all....that's amazing!! This mom was smiling ear to ear!! Her before stats were this: FEV1 - 1.41, BMI - 49%, she cultured MRSA for 2 to 3 years and sweat chloride of above 100 (we tested twice but their machine would not read over 100 so we are not sure of her exact #'s, we do know that when she was 2 it was 109).....ok so now the new and improved Abby: FEV1 at clinic was 1.47(but she has been sick with allergies and RSV and Rhino virus every time we went in :(), at home the highest I saw on her Piko 1 was 1.62, her BMI - 59%, she no longer cultures MRSA, and her sweat chloride is 88 and 91. Now the RSV dropped her PFT to 99% and had her coughing a lot but.....she fought it and the Rhino virus off on her own at the same time!!! That would have for sure landed us in the hospital before!!! She is so much healthier!! The bad thing for us is that her Dr doesn't believe us and doesn't care to hear her improvements...it is so disheartening...but he is one of the best in TX. He is letting her stay on it and is taking care of her it just breaks our hearts because we thought he really cared about her and he has just totally shut off the personal side where before it was great :( He basically comes in does the vital check up part and listens to problems but doesn't care to hear the good. Well we have an appt with him on March 1st which is our 1 year anniversary for hospital stay....and you better bet I am going to bring it up....and I pray these cold fronts are gone by then and he can see the PFT's that I saw at home!! I am not sure what the future holds but we are going to keep going to him until he does something to jeopardize her health just because I do think they are the best in TX. Of course we as her parents see the difference and are beside ourselves...but when someone else notices it still brings chills up my spine! Now having said all of that I know that it is not doing for her what it is doing for all of those lucky ones who have the right mutation....but God has blessed us...because I can't imagine going back to the way things were. She is so much healthier than before!!! It is real folks!!! And they will get our "cure". God is so good!!! He has all of these wonderful people fighting for us!!!

Curious to see how you were able to get kalydeco off label. Does your insurance cover it or do you have to pay out of pocket?
 

JENNYC

New member
We are extra blessed in that our insurance covers it....in fact we are covered for sure for 2 years so they told me :) We have Humana and our out of pocket is $100. Well worth every tiny cent!!
 
W

welshwitch

Guest
I'm totally confused about who gets to try Kalydeco . I thought it was only people with the G551D mutation?
 

GenH

New member

JENNYC

New member
Anyone can be prescribed Kalydeco.....anyone....you just have to get your doctor on board to give you the prescription....then it is up to your insurance company. Those are the only 2 obstacles and you won't know if they are obstacles unless you try :) I'm so very glad we did!!
 
JENNYC, I just got CHILLS! YAY ABBY! I've asked my son's CF docs if we can get on either a trial for the combo kalyedeco & VX-770 or just get approved to try the kalydeco by itself. WOW any time away from hospitalizations is AWESOME and even the part about getting over colds, or getting over a sinus infection? holy crapamoly that sounds fantastic!!! WOO HOO ABBY! Keep it up, girl!

Thanks for sharing. It's good to hear the new drug isn't just helping that 3% with the specific gene targeted, but sounds like a broader group can benefit too!
 
W

welshwitch

Guest
GenH, thank you! i have one of the residual function genes. I will start trying to get this drug, gracias ! (although I don't know how difficult of a road it will be to actually get it).

Any advice as to get doctor/insurance company on board to let me try it?
 

JENNYC

New member
TreasureGoddess we are so blessed!! I hope that your doctor will help you do one of the other. If you need help from me I don't mind sharing Abby's story or her sweat test' or her PFT's and BMI's. I am all for everyone trying something that can totally change their lives for the better!! Abby is still not perfect by any means but soooooo very much better!!
 

GenH

New member
If you were on a previous clinical trial with VX-770/809 combo or you are currently using Kalyedeco, can you share your experiences with the forum. Those of us who are still struggling with this dreadful disease never get tired of hearing stories of the miracle drug that is just around the corner. thank you in advance.

Hello, I've been on Kalydeco for 4 months, my pfts have improved significantly and I've been stable for the first time in years. My weight has also improved about 6kg. I feel much better and I dont cough very much anymore. I've just updated my blog which has more info: http://magicbluepill.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/four-months-of-kalydeco/

I hope the trials for F508del (plus other rare mutations) and gene therapy go well so everyone can improve as much as possible.
 
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