Hi - may I ask are you still on Kalydeco and still keeping the good results? We are in the same boat with R347P - Class 4/Conductance, not responsive in vitro but also PS and very keen to try Kalydecco or - as DF508 as well - the combination drug.
Sorry I haven’t responded sooner. Just seeing this now. Yes, I continue to do well on Kalydeco. Progress did plateau quickly for me. But in my eyes, stability is progress considering I felt like my health has been faltering for the last 3+ years. The most noticeable differences are decreased shortness of breath, decreased cough, and the ability to sleep through most nights without waking up coughing. I was getting up at least once a night with pretty intense coughing attacks for the last couple of years. Also exercise isn’t as grueling as it was. I feel like air is moving more freely and I can take more air in with each breath. I think because my lung function was pretty low (31%) when I started Kalydeco, the results I felt initially were quick and dramatic. Going from 31% to 42% lung function in 5 days felt miraculous. Truly –there is no other word to describe it. I was at a point where even IV antibiotics weren’t giving me much relief. And if they did, it was temporary.
I still have bad days, but prior to Kalydeco my good days were getting few and far between. And even my “bad” days are so much more tolerable now that I have the knowledge that my progression has slowed and my health has stabilized. The fear of my future is no longer the first thing I think about when I wake up.
Since your son is pancreatic sufficient, I think there is a very good possibility that Kalydeco will be effective to some capacity. I do want to mention that my sweat chloride only decreased by 10%. This may explain the poor in vitro results. But I think what this proves is that it takes very little correction of CFTR function to notice a clinical difference. Is your doctor willing to write a prescription? Do you need any help with getting journal articles? I’d also be willing to share my medical records with your doctor if he needs some convincing to write a prescription. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.