For decades, academic scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health conducted research into the function of a lung protein that is genetically altered in people with cystic fibrosis. The foundational scientific discoveries eventually led Vertex Pharmaceuticals to develop and win approval for the first medicines to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis.
Those medicines have transformed the lives of people living with the disease and turned Vertex into one of the world’s largest and most valuable drug companies.
But on Monday, Vertex CEO Reshma Kewalramani, speaking to investors and analysts on an earnings call, said nothing about a policy change at the NIH that would slash funding for research overhead to universities and academic medical research centers. The NIH’s decision could have a severe impact on early biomedical research that leads to breakthrough treatments, scientists, university leaders, and even some Republican politicians have warned.
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