Use of cystic fibrosis inhaled medication before and after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor initiation

Abstract

Elexacator/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) has improved cystic fibrosis (CF) outcomes. A reduction in use of maintenance medication after its initiation has been reported. Seventy-one adult people with CF (PwCF) who are followed in three CF centers and completed one year of treatment with ETI were included in this study. Their use of inhaled dornase-α, colistin, tobramycin, aztreonam and levofloxacin during this period was compared with the corresponding use during one year without ETI, using the Medication Possession Ratio (MPR). MPR was significantly decreased after ETI initiation for dornase-α (67±35% vs 48±40%, p<0.001) and for all four inhaled antibiotics together (62±33% vs 41±37%, p<0.001). The findings of this multi-center, retrospective, study suggest that the initiation of ETI significantly leads to decrease in use of standard inhaled medication in PwCF. The significance of this finding in the course of the disease is yet to be investigated by larger prospective clinical trials.