Inhaled CF antibiotic receives FDA approval

BETHESDA, Md. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first inhaled antibiotic for cystic fibrosis in more than a decade, according to a cystic fibrosis advocacy organization.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced the FDA’s approval of Cayston (aztreonam), developed by Gilead Sciences. The organization invested $1 million to help development of the drug.

“The approval of Cayston demonstrates that our drug-development model is working and making a real difference in the lives of people with cystic fibrosis,” Cystic Fibrosis Foundation president and CEO Robert Beall said in a statement. “We are delighted to have a new antibiotic in the arsenal to help fight the life-threatening infections associated with this disease, as we continue to push forward with other therapies that address the underlying cause of CF.”