Grant Leitch, a seven-year-old boy from South Africa, had a question for his mother about his five-year-old brother Brett, who has cystic fibrosis. The family is struggling to access modern treatments due to high costs, but thanks to years of campaigning by parents like Carmen Leitch and the CF Buyers' Club 2.0, a generic version of the expensive medication Trikafta is now available for $2,000 per year.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes mucus buildup in the lungs and digestive system, making it hard to breathe and leaving patients susceptible to infections. Until recently, most sufferers would die as young adults due to lack of access to effective treatments. The new generic version of Trikafta is a game-changer for families like Leitch's who can no longer afford the original medication.
The success story of Leitch's family is not unique. Almost 80,000 people worldwide are thought to be living with undiagnosed cystic fibrosis, mostly in low- and middle-income countries where access to treatments is limited. However, thanks to advocacy efforts by parents like Carmen Leitch and the CF Buyers' Club 2.0, a more affordable treatment option is now available.
The journey to making Trikafta more accessible began with a small group of families who couldn't afford the expensive medication in the UK. They formed the CF Buyers' Club, which successfully negotiated a cheaper generic version from Argentina. The success of this campaign inspired similar efforts globally, leading to the creation of the CF Buyers' Club 2.0.
One such example is Gayle Pledger, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis and became involved in the advocacy effort through her experiences as a single mother. She joined forces with Just Treatment and the Third World Network to approach Bangladeshi company Beximco about producing a generic version of Trikafta. The result is an affordable treatment option that will cost $2,000 per year for adults and $6,375 per year for children.
While there are still challenges ahead, including ensuring widespread availability of the generic medication, Carmen Leitch's family has already seen a significant impact from their efforts. Grant asked his mother if Brett would die, but now they can afford to give him access to life-saving treatment. The future is looking brighter for families like Leitch's who have been fighting against the high costs of cystic fibrosis treatments.
In conclusion, years of parent-led campaigning have paid off with the introduction of a generic version of Trikafta, making it more affordable for millions of people around the world living with cystic fibrosis. The journey was long and challenging, but advocacy efforts have ensured that families like Leitch's now have access to effective treatments that can save lives.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that causes mucus buildup in the lungs and digestive system, making it hard to breathe and leaving patients susceptible to infections. Until recently, most sufferers would die as young adults due to lack of access to effective treatments. The new generic version of Trikafta is a game-changer for families like Leitch's who can no longer afford the original medication.
The success story of Leitch's family is not unique. Almost 80,000 people worldwide are thought to be living with undiagnosed cystic fibrosis, mostly in low- and middle-income countries where access to treatments is limited. However, thanks to advocacy efforts by parents like Carmen Leitch and the CF Buyers' Club 2.0, a more affordable treatment option is now available.
The journey to making Trikafta more accessible began with a small group of families who couldn't afford the expensive medication in the UK. They formed the CF Buyers' Club, which successfully negotiated a cheaper generic version from Argentina. The success of this campaign inspired similar efforts globally, leading to the creation of the CF Buyers' Club 2.0.
One such example is Gayle Pledger, whose daughter has cystic fibrosis and became involved in the advocacy effort through her experiences as a single mother. She joined forces with Just Treatment and the Third World Network to approach Bangladeshi company Beximco about producing a generic version of Trikafta. The result is an affordable treatment option that will cost $2,000 per year for adults and $6,375 per year for children.
While there are still challenges ahead, including ensuring widespread availability of the generic medication, Carmen Leitch's family has already seen a significant impact from their efforts. Grant asked his mother if Brett would die, but now they can afford to give him access to life-saving treatment. The future is looking brighter for families like Leitch's who have been fighting against the high costs of cystic fibrosis treatments.
In conclusion, years of parent-led campaigning have paid off with the introduction of a generic version of Trikafta, making it more affordable for millions of people around the world living with cystic fibrosis. The journey was long and challenging, but advocacy efforts have ensured that families like Leitch's now have access to effective treatments that can save lives.
, how a generic version of Trikafta is now available for $2,000 per year, which is so much cheaper than the original price 
! It's like, totally changed the game for families who have been struggling to afford treatments for their loved ones with cystic fibrosis 
. I'm wondering, how did it all start? Who were the people behind this campaign and what made them decide to take action? 
Was it just one person or was it a group of families working together? 
, and it broke my heart 
. But then I saw that thanks to some amazing parents like Carmen Leitch who fought for years to make Trikafta more affordable, their lives are now looking up 
! 2k a year isn’t cheap but at least they can breathe easier now 
. What’s crazy is there are almost 80k people worldwide living with cystic fibrosis and most of them don’t have access to treatment 
.
! the fact that they're finally able to afford life-saving treatment for their brother brett is just amazing 
The fact that families had to go through all this drama and advocacy efforts just to get access to life-saving treatment is crazy 
What's next, are they going to start charging us per breath or something? 
Just saying, let's hope this affordable option sticks around for a while, otherwise I'll be super disappointed 
I mean, good news, right? Like, a seven-year-old kid is basically saved from death by the system 
Fingers crossed for everyone living with cystic fibrosis 
80k+ people worldwide are living with undiagnosed CF! 
️ 
It's about the lives that are being saved and improved due to advocacy efforts. The Leitch family's story is a shining example of this 
but because of these amazing parents who fought back, we have access to lifesaving meds now 
what's crazy is that there are still 80k+ people worldwide living with undiagnosed cystic fibrosis 
how can that even be? and what about the challenges ahead like getting this treatment to everyone who needs it 
this is the most amazing news ever! a generic version of Trikafta is finally available for just $2k per year, which is like a weight off their shoulders for families struggling to afford it 
the advocacy efforts by parents like Carmen Leitch and others have truly paid off 
and now millions of people worldwide living with cystic fibrosis can finally access affordable treatment 
. It's crazy to think about how many people in the world are living with cystic fibrosis and not being able to afford treatment. But now, thanks to these advocacy efforts, there's hope for so many families. This is like, totally awesome 
my sister has asthma & urine infections r super painful she got her meds thru insurance but i no how hard it is 2 deal with high costs 
thx to these parents who r fighting 4 their kids & all the people who r doing research & advocacy 
