Drug maker 'will make $21bn from treating cystic fibrosis'

Vertex is accused of raking in vast profits while making Orkambi unaffordable to NHS

A US company, which is refusing to drop its price for the life-changing cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi to make it affordable to NHS England, is set to make $21bn (17bn) in profit from that and a sister medicine, according to research.

Countries around the world are struggling to pay for Orkambi, made by Vertex, which has a list price of 104,000 per patient per year and is not a cure. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in England has said it is not cost effective. On Monday, the Scottish Medicines Consortium will decide whether to approve the drug for children.