[BenFranklin100]

This article gives short shrift to the role the pharmaceutical industry played in making this life-changing treatment a reality. It barely mentions Vertex. Vertex is the biotech company that made the big bet on cystic fibrosis, a rare disease that most companies wouldn’t touch because of the small market and unknown biology made it too risky. They were the ones that believed in the science and developed multiple CF drugs and got them into the hands of patients. Here’s a 2019 STAT article that gives a fuller account of Vertex’s role:

https://www.statnews.com/2019/10/23/we-conquered-a-disease-h...

[bdcravens]

Yes, the CFF has partnered with companies like Vertex to take an almost VC-like approach towards developing new drugs (Trikafta being one of many similar drugs they've developed with Vertex)

[jeremiahbuckley]

Thanks for this. Very cool to read these types of stories.

[rakejake]

The book "The Billion Dollar Molecule" is about the founding of Vertex Pharma. Worth a read.

[ackbar03]

There's a follow up book as well, The Antidote. I read both to learn more about the industry