Working with an Advocacy Group to Help a Patient in Barbados Access a Life-Saving Drug from the US
Condition
Life-threatening, progressive, genetic disease
Drug Type
Approved
Where Approved
US
About the Advocacy Group
The mission of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and to provide all people suffering from CF the opportunity to lead long, fulfilling lives. The foundation aims to achieve this by funding research and drug development, partnering with the CF community and advancing high-quality specialized care.
Challenge
Through our work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), we were contacted by the grandfather of a young CF patient in Barbados. There are no approved treatments available to patients in Barbados, so he had been travelling with his family to Miami, US, every six months to receive an FDA-approved drug. However, this was not a feasible long-term solution, so the grandfather and the CFF reached out to WEP Clinical in the hopes that we could help them find a way of getting the drug delivered to them in Barbados.
WEP Solution
WEP Clinical contacted the drug manufacturer on behalf of the patient and explained the unmet clinical need. The company was empathetic and agreed to work with WEP Clinical to make their drug available on a charitable, compassionate use basis. We relayed this news to the patient’s family and were then put in touch with the treating physician in Barbados, who we supported through the importation process and helped complete the necessary documentation. We also contacted the health agency in Barbados to request an import permit to allow the drug to be cleared through customs. Once all the regulatory aspects were handled, we then worked with the drug manufacturer’s logistics partner to manage the delivery of the drug from the company’s facilities in the US to the clinic in Barbados. We now support this patient and physician every six months to set-up and receive their treatment.
Testimonial from the patient’s grandfather:
