Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common, life-limiting genetic disorder affecting Australians, with a baby born with the condition every four days. Currently, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators are the key treatment options in Australia. Digital support around CF is mainly concentrated on this class of therapies, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Reportedly, 1 in 25 people in Australia carry the recessive CF gene change. As per the Australian Cystic Fibrosis Data Registry (ACFDR), as of December 2020, there were 3,538 CF patients in the country which comprised of 44.5% children (0-17 years) and 55.5% adults (>18 years).

Key companies in Australia’s CF market include Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Trikafta, Orkambi, Kalydeco and Symdeko) and Pharmaxis (Bronchitol). Other conventional therapies are also marketed by companies like Roche (Pulmozyme), Gilead (Cayston) and Alphapharm (Tobi).

GlobalData’s ‘Digital Marketing Intelligence’ platform identified branded digital support only for Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ (Kalydeco.com.au, Symdeko.com.au, Orkambi.com.au, and Trikafta.com.au) and Pharmaxis (Bronchitol.com.au). In the unbranded space, Vertex Pharmaceuticals offers support through its website Cfsource.com.au.

Neha Myneni, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Vertex Pharmaceuticals offers strong digital support for the CF community in the branded space, whose products  contributed to more than 50% of  CF prescriptions in 2020 as per the ACFDR annual report. The company also offers disease management support through its unbranded website. However, support through other digital media like mobile apps and social media is completely lacking from both companies.”

An analysis of traffic for the websites over the last 12 months (March 2021 to February 2022) reveals the highest traffic has been to Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ Cfsource.com.au (~24,000 visits). Traffic to all the branded websites was  low (less than 5,000 visits).

Myneni continues “CF remains a significant burden on the patient with a daily consumption of up to 60 capsules to aid in food digestion and up to four hours of airway clearance physiotherapy. Above all, patients have restricted social life due to high risk of cross-infection and exacerbation of lung conditions.”

Myneni concludes: “Vertex Pharmaceuticals is actively engaged in improving the quality of life of Australia’s CF community through various initiatives like funding the ACFDR Data Quality Assurance Program, among others. Such initiatives can help improve the overall clinical outcomes of these patients. In addition, investing in disease awareness initiatives such as campaigns and cross-channel support will further help Vertex Pharmaceuticals strengthen its hold in Australia’s CF market.”