Beximco’s Breakthrough: Bangladesh Brings Affordable Relief for Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Cystic fibrosis is a rare but life-threatening genetic disorder that drastically shortens life expectancy. Globally, an estimated 189,000 people are affected by the disease, of whom only 60 percent are diagnosed and a mere 27 percent receive treatment.

In recent years, the drug Trikafta, developed by the US-based Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has been hailed as a groundbreaking treatment for cystic fibrosis. Combining three key components — elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor — the medicine has significantly improved the life expectancy and quality of life for patients. However, the exorbitant cost of Trikafta has made it unaffordable for most patients worldwide.

Against this backdrop, a group of mothers of children with cystic fibrosis have launched a “community-led buyers’ club” to make Triko — the generic version of Trikafta produced by Beximco Pharmaceuticals — accessible to patients. The initiative was officially announced on October 23 at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference held in Seattle, USA.

According to the announcement, Triko by Beximco Pharma will reduce annual treatment costs for children to just USD 6,375 per patient — a dramatic drop compared to Trikafta’s USD 370,000 annual cost. This means that for the cost of treating one child with Trikafta, 58 children can be treated with Triko. The generic drug is expected to become available by April 2026.

At the conference, Gail Pleasor, leader of the global Right to Breathe campaign, chief coordinator of UK-based Just Treatment, and mother of a child suffering from cystic fibrosis, said: “Today marks a historic moment that families and patients with cystic fibrosis across the globe have been waiting for. We have seen too many children lose their lives simply because treatment was unaffordable. That situation is now changing. It is incredibly inspiring that through the united efforts of affected families and dedicated citizens, such a monumental problem has been overcome despite all the resistance and barriers from billion-dollar corporations.”

Beximco Pharma has set the annual cost of Triko at USD 12,750 for adults and USD 6,375 for children — several times lower than Trikafta’s price. Alongside Triko, the company is also launching Bexdeco, the generic version of one of Trikafta’s core components, ivacaftor, which will be priced at just USD 5 per tablet.

Beximco Pharma’s Chief Operating Officer, Rabbur Reza, stated: “Beximco Pharma has always been committed to ensuring affordable access to essential and innovative medicines for patients. Our goal is not just to manufacture drugs but to make a positive difference in people’s lives. Treatment for rare diseases like cystic fibrosis is both extremely limited and prohibitively expensive for most patients. We believe our affordable Triko will play a crucial role in bridging that gap.”

In response to appeals from the Malaysia-based research and advocacy group Third World Network (TWN), the UK-based patients’ organization Just Treatment, and the global Right to Breathe campaign, Beximco Pharma took up this initiative on humanitarian grounds to assist underprivileged cystic fibrosis patients worldwide.