‘How Long Must We Wait?’: Maltese Cystic Fibrosis Patient Hospitalised Following Calls For Life-Saving Medicine
Outspoken cystic fibrosis patient Mandy Vella has been hospitalised with a chest infection over the weekend, a complication she says could have been prevented if she had access to the life-saving drug she’s been fighting for since its approval last year.
“I have yet again been admitted to hospital due to a chest infection which cystic fibrosis is known for. This could have been prevented or at least left me with less damage if I had the medication,” Vella told Lovin Malta just after being discharged after a small operation.
Vella has been advocating for the drug called Trikafta since it was approved last August. Although it’s got a price tag of tens of thousands per patient, it is the only treatment known for the disease and Vella’s only chance of living a long life.
“The damage is done – there’s no reversing it. There is nothing I can do about it. All I can do is wait for the medication to be approved and maybe just in time to save my life.”
Cystic fibrosis is a rare, hereditary disease that attacks the lungs and affects around 20 people in Malta. Patients with the disease tend to live shorter lives.
The breakthrough drug in question, Trikafta, treats the cells of cystic fibrosis patients and strengthens their lungs. It was approved in 2020, and Vella has been pleading with authorities to procure it since.
However, so far, her pleas have been left unanswered.
Vella’s father, Edwin Vella, has also spoken out about his daughter’s declining condition.
“Her lungs are deteriorating and deteriorating fast. She needs that new medication. How much longer can we wait?” he wrote online.
There does seem to be a sliver of hope for patients with the disease, as the Health Ministry confirmed that discussions are underway to put the medication on the government’s essential medicine’s list.
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