CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS are beginning to be transferred from St Vincent’s Hospital to the new €22 million Nutley Wing.
The move to the new specialised facility comes after an eight-year campaign to provide those suffering with the condition with better care.
The new wing is expected to be opened fully over August, with a minimum of 20 beds and 34 inpatients opening, reports RTÉ.
The new single rooms reduce the risk of cross-infection for vulnerable cystic fibrosis patients.
Last week, the European Medicines Agency approved a new drug which can help people with a certain form of cystic fibrosis. Kalydeco, manufactured by Vertex, which treats people with cystic fibrosis aged six and over who have at least one copy of the G551d mutation.
An estimated 1,100 people in Europe have the G551D mutation, with about 100 of those living in Ireland.
Regulators in Ireland must now approve the drug ahead of any negotiations between Vertex and the HSE corporate pharmaceutical unit regarding pricing for the drug, which has now approved in both Europe and the United States.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say