The US FDA has approved a combination therapy of Kalydeco (ivacaftor) plus the novel drug tezacaftor to treat patients with a specific form of cystic fibrosis. The therapy will be sold under the brand name Symdeko.

Symdeko was approved for CF patients aged 12 and older who have two copies of the F508del gene mutation or who have at least one mutation that is responsive to tezacaftor/ivacaftor.

The treatment is expected to form the backbone of eventual triple combinations that could treat up to 90 percent of patients with the disease that leads to serious lung infections and deteriorating lung function.