Vertex Aims for “Virtual Clinic Visits” to Keep Ongoing Studies on Track Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Vertex Pharmaceuticals said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is working with clinical trial sites to enable “virtual clinic visits” and home delivery of study drugs to ensure that ongoing trials continue as planned with the correct monitoring and procedures in place. However, the company indicated that it will temporarily pause enrollment in certain trials and may delay some new study starts.

CEO Jeffrey Leiden noted that the coronavirus outbreak “will require unprecedented utilization of healthcare resources that we expect will have an impact on our clinical trials.” The executive added “given the rapidly evolving pandemic, it is too early to precisely determine the long-term effects of the outbreak on trial timelines.”

Meanwhile, Vertex also reiterated that COVID-19 has so far not had any impact on supply-chain continuity for its approved medicines, which include the cystic fibrosis drugs Trikafta (elexacaftor/ivacaftor/tezacaftor), Symdeko/Symkevi (tezacaftor/ivacaftor), Orkambi (lumacaftor/ivacaftor) and Kalydeco (ivacaftor). Nor has the pandemic affected its business outlook for 2020.

The company stated that it has “ample supply to meet commercial needs well into the future and remains highly confident in its ability to continue to supply all of its medicines to patients around the world.” Moreover, Vertex noted that its manufacturing facilities have remained operational and continue to produce new supply of its medicines.

Other drugmakers, including Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Pfizer have also recently announced decisions to delay certain trials in light of the COVID-19 situation.