Category Archives: Cf

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF) today announced that its Board of Directors has terminated the tax benefits preservation plan (the Plan) that it adopted on September 6, 2016. The Plan was designed to preserve the companys ability to utilize its net operating losses and certain other tax assets that were primarily related to accelerated tax depreciation of the companys capacity expansion projects, which were placed in service in 2016. The Plan was originally scheduled to expire on September 5, 2017.

In June, CF announced that it had received federal tax refunds of approximately $815 million due to the carryback of certain federal tax losses from the 2016 tax year to prior periods. The receipt of the federal tax refunds was earlier than CFs previously stated expectations for the third quarter of 2017.

Stockholders were well-served by the tax benefits preservation plan as it protected the companys ability to utilize its tax losses and receive $815 million in federal tax refunds, said Stephen A. Furbacher, chairman of the board, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. With the earlier-than-expected receipt of these tax refunds, the Plan has served its intended purpose and the Board believes that it is in the best interests of the company and its stockholders to terminate the Plan at this time.

About CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, through its subsidiaries is a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of nitrogen products, serving both agricultural and industrial customers. CF Industries operates world-class nitrogen manufacturing complexes in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and distributes plant nutrients through a system of terminals, warehouses, and associated transportation equipment located primarily in the Midwestern United States. The company also owns a 50 percent interest in an ammonia facility in The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. CF Industries routinely posts investor announcements and additional information on the companys website atwww.cfindustries.comand encourages those interested in the company to check there frequently.

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CF Industries Terminates Tax Benefits Preservation Plan - Business Wire (press release)

What to Expect from CF Industries' 2Q17 Earnings PART 1 OF 7

CF Industries (CF) is set to announce its 2Q17 earnings after the market closes on August 2, 2017. According to Wall Street analysts consensus estimate, the company is expected to report EPS (earnings per share) of $0.01 in the quarter, down from $0.33 in 2Q16.

While the company is expected to report a huge fall in its earnings, its stock has beaten the benchmark indexes. Lets take a look in more detail.

In the last year, CF Industries has returned 18%, beating the S&P 500 Indexs (SPY) return of 14.6% for the same period. The company has also beat the VanEck Vectors Agribusiness ETF (MOO), which hasreturned 14.3% in the same period.

The company has also beat its peers PotashCorp (POT), CVR Partners (UAN), and Agrium (AGU). These three stocks underperformed even the benchmarks discussed in the chart above.

In 2017, CF Industries stock has struggled due to continued pressure on nitrogen fertilizer players resulting from excess capacity pressure. While the industrys players are continuing to ration their capacity expansion projects, the upside on fertilizer prices remains in question for the near term.

CF Industries is one of the largest producers of nitrogen fertilizers in North America, and it enjoys a strategic advantage over international players. Because the United States is a net importer of nitrogen fertilizers, the company can supply to its customers at lower costs.

In this series, well discuss analysts expectations for the companys key financial metrics. Well also look at the companys valuation in the concluding part of this series.

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What to Expect from CF Industries' 2Q17 Earnings - Market Realist - Market Realist

CF Industries Holdings Inc. has announced that its Board of Directors has elected John W. Eaves, CEO of Arch Coal Inc., and Michael J. Toelle, owner of T&T Farms and former board chairman of CHS, Inc., as independent directors of the company.

The elections of Mr. Eaves and Mr. Toelle bring membership of the CF Industries Holdings Inc. Board of Directors to 12. They are expected to stand for re-election by stockholders at the companys 2018 Annual Meeting.

We are pleased to welcome John and Michael to the CF Industries Board, said Stephen A. Furbacher, Chairman of the board, CF Industries Holdings Inc. Johns extensive knowledge of the global coal industry and Michaels deep agricultural experience, along with their demonstrated leadership and understanding of commodity cycles, will benefit the Board and our management team greatly. We look forward to their insights and perspectives as we work together to create long-term value for our stockholders.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/nitrogen/25072017/cf-industries-welcomes-new-directors/

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CF Industries welcomes new directors - World Fertilizer

By John ChamblessStaff Writer

The best way to reach an audience online is with a compelling video, and the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District will be putting itself in the spotlight with six videos that will be filmed during the coming school year.

The U-CF School Board approved the $20,000 proposal as part of their brief meeting on July 17. Allied Pixel, a company based in Media, will produce six videos, which will run three minutes each, between September 2017 and May 2018.

Dave Listman, who leads the district's communications efforts, said that while the district has its own video production capabilities, Allied Pixel can easily produce a higher-quality result with a sleek, engaging, professional look.

The series of videos will complement our 'Success for All' presentation, Listman said. That helps us to achieve some of our communication goals specifically, more effectively engaging with our community. We have a goal to enhance communications within the community, targeting the taxpayers who are not parents. These folks pay for our program, and we all benefit by working closely together.

The videos will feature students, teachers and administrators, Listman continued. We expect the first video will focus on our shift to earlier school start times. The videos will be used on our websites, in emails and throughout social media. We plan to send a postcard mailer to the community that will focus on topics from our 'Success for All' presentation.

District superintendent John Sanville, who has shown the Powerpoint presentation to several groups around the school district this year, said, Responses to the presentation were great, and the initiative will grow in the coming year, enhanced and supported by these videos. 'Success for All' tells the story of the district as a place focused on its mission to empower students for success in life, while at the same time understanding its obligations to the community and respecting taxpayer support.

We excel in academics and we excel as good stewards of taxpayer dollars and operate in a transparent manner, Sanville said. The 'Success for All' initiative backs all of this up with numbers and with stories. The video pieces will enhance our ability to tell the stories.

Listman added, We know that video is an effective communications vehicle, and personal stories are better than charts and numbers.

Allied Pixel is owned by a local community member, and the business focuses on telling the stories of educational organizations and non-profits. They have a great portfolio and have previously done pro-bono work for one of our schools, Listman said.

The district has approved spending no more than $20,000 for the six videos, which Listman said is a considerable discount and a great value to the district. The company is discounting its usual costs by at least 25 percent. For its high-definition editorial work alone, the cost would normally be $16,200. The company has cut the cost by 65 percent, to $5,670, for that line item.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email jchambless@chestercounty.com.

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U-CF School District will spotlight strengths in six new videos - Chester County Press

CINCINNATI -- FC Cincinnati gained global attention last summer with its sellout crowd for an international friendly against English Premier League club Crystal Palace.

Cincinnati has a long way to go to match that enthusiasm for Mondays summer special against Spains Valencia CF.

RELATED: What you need to know about Valencia.

Ticket sales only crossed the 15,000 threshold Wednesday, and FC Cincinnati holds a modest goal of drawing 20,000 to 25,000 fans, which has been an almost typical United Soccer League crowd atNippertStadium. The clubs first-ever international friendly last year -- on a Saturday in mid-July -- still holds FC Cincinnatis all-time attendance record at 35,061.

Well end up being north of 20,000 and from our standpoint if were in the 20-25,000 range thats what we projected, FC Cincinnati President and General ManagerBerdingsaid, noting the club is hoping for a strong sales push after its game Saturday against Harrisburg City. Its a Monday night, not a Saturday and we had two enormous Open Cup matches against Chicago and Columbus Crew SC and a U.S. Womens National Team game going on sale. Last years game against Crystal Palace was the first big match beyond theUSLfor FC Cincinnati and obviously were well beyond that now.

Were excited to host Valencia. Its been a little bit of a different challenge, but were likely going to be in 20-25,000 range and were very satisfied.

WCPOInsiders can read more about why tickets haven't sold as well for Valencia CF as they did for FC Cincinnati's international friendly against Crystal Palace.

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FC Cincinnati friendly with Valencia CF not selling tickets quite like Crystal Palace did last year - WCPO

Cystic Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley. Photograph: Alan Betson

A GoFundMe campaign started for Cystic Fibrosis campaigner Orla Tinsley, who is in need of a double lung transplant, has gathered nearly 900 contributions totalling more than $50,000.

Ms Tinsley has spent years campaigning for better treatment for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, and has written extensively about the condition for The Irish Times since 2005.

CF is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 1,200 children and adults in Ireland.

Her friend and fellow writer Belinda McKeon set up the GoFundMe page to cover the costs associated with a double lung transplant, which Ms Tinsley needs after going into respiratory failure last year.

The page had a goal of raising $50,000, which it has now exceeded.

Early on Monday, Ms Tinsley thanked donators and said she was deeply grateful for the support.

I am overwhelmed by the love and support, she said in an Instagram post, accompanied by a screenshot of the GoFundMe page.

You are all incredible. I am deeply grateful. Im going to print the positive msgs and create a wall of positivity so that love and support helps keep me strong. I will fight harder knowing you are there.

Ms Tinsleys activism drew national attention to the shortcomings in the level of care for CF patients in Ireland and led to the opening of a dedicated CF unit at St Vincents Hospital in Dublin in 2012.

In 2015 she wrote about the effect which the drug Orkambi had on her, calling on the Government to make it available to patients here.

I realised I no longer lived from month to month, beneath the weight of constant intense medical monitoring and painful evaluation of every single action I took and how that might affect my energy and health for the day, she wrote.

I lived in this explosion of the now. . . This was a miracle for me.

The drug Orkambi was approved for funding by Minister for Health Simon Harris this year after an extensive campaign by patients and their families.

Ms Tinsley lives in New York after taking up a scholarship at Columbia University in 2014 and is now on a waiting list for a transplant at Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Writing on the fundraising page, Ms McKeon said: Theres no way of sugar-coating this: Orla needs this transplant, its obviously a very serious surgery, and while her health insurance will thankfully cover the transplant, there are aspects of care and recovery (including copays, mediation, transport, oxygen and much more) which are not covered by insurance.

After-care is crucial, and its expensive. Thats where we can help.

She said: Orlas transplant team have advised that she should have a large contingency fund in place which can be put towards these costs.

Writing on the GoFundMe page herself, Ms Tinsley said: I am older now and my time is running out. Unless I get a life saving lung transplant I will die.

Transplant is about recovery and hard work afterward where I will have to rehabilitate and live with my new lungs. Hard work afterwards is what make the difference in survival.

I need to stay close to the hospital for one year until I recover and work hard at rehabilitation and take on all the other challenges post transplant life bring. I am ready for this.

But I need your help. I am so grateful to Belinda for being so supportive and taking the pressure off me at this time.

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CF campaigner 'overwhelmed' by donations for lung transplant - Irish Times

Jose Mourinho has challenged Anthony Martial to produce the goods on a more consistent basis after the Manchester United frontman caught the eye against Real Madrid.

Martial produced a scintillating weaving run to set up Jesse Lingards opening goal in Uniteds 1-1 draw against Real in the International Champions Cup at Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, albeit the French international blazed over from the spot in the penalty shootout that followed the draw.

The 21-year-old shone during his impressive debut campaign at Old Trafford under Louis van Gaal two years ago, yet struggled under Mourinho last season -- prompting speculation that he could be on the move this summer.

But after Martial looked back to his best, Mourinho admitted that talent is not the issue for the United forward.

Obviously, we want more consistency in his talent, said Mourinho. I think today was positive for him. Thats why I left him for 90 minutes on the pitch. He was enjoying it, trying things and its important in these friendly matches to try things, which he did. Thats only good for his confidence.

On the stroke of half-time, Martials quick feet saw him leave both Daniel Carvajal and Luka Modric for dead, before squaring the ball across the six-yard box for Lingard to tap home.

It was just reward for Lingard after he was the best player on the pitch during the first half, only a smart save from Keylor Navas keeping out a swerving shot from 25 yards in the seventh minute.

Jose Mourinho has called for more positive play from Anthony Martial after a good show in the penalty shoot-out against Real Madrid C.F. (REUTERS)

In their first pre-season outing, Real were understandably rusty during the first half, but they improved significantly after Zinedine Zidane changed his entire 11 at the interval and introduced a host of youngsters. They drew level when Victor Lindelof brought down summer signing Theo Hernandez in the area and Casemiro smashed home the resulting spot-kick.

Zidane said he was satisfied with the performance, particularly the contribution of the clubs hot prospects. But when asked about the depth of his squad and whether he was chasing a replacement for the departed Alvaro Morata, Zidane was cautious at being drawn over any transfer business.

Real Madrid C.F. manager Zinedine Zidane has said he was satisfied with the performance of Real Madrid C.F. (AFP)

Ive talked to the president, but we have a roster of 28 players and Im happy, said the Real boss. Ultimately, we will see. We have until August 31, but I have not asked for any (players).

United won 2-1 in a desperately low quality penalty shootout at the conclusion of the encounter, but it was an injury to midfielder Ander Herrera which was preying on Mourinhos mind afterwards.

The half-time substitute lasted just seven minutes before he was forced off with a rib injury.

For him to come off, it has to be very painful, Mourinho said. I want to wait and see what it is but I always say theres no risk in friendly matches. If you feel that something is coming, a little injury, then get off. The result is not important.

Herrera is expected to join Juan Mata on the treatment table when United round off their Stateside pre-season tour against Barcelona, in Landover, Maryland on Wednesday.

Happy with our pre-season

But despite a hectic period of five games in the space of 12 days, Mourinho feels the trip has been beneficial.

We managed to organize the pre-season in a way where we were based in LA for 15 days, he added. Its fantastic to always be in the same hotel, same training ground. The flights were quite short to go to Salt Lake, Houston. Now we go to (Washington) and thats halfway home, almost. In terms of jet lag, its halfway home. These next three days in DC are not a problem. After that, we have two more matches to play in Norway and Ireland. Traveling in the same day, short flights. Im really happy with our pre-season.

If Mata and Ander are not a problem in terms of injuries, then its a perfect pre-season for us.

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Manchester United FC beat Real Madrid CF on penalties in Champions Cup - Hindustan Times

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 17: Tommy Pham #28, Dexter Fowler #25 and Magneuris Sierra #43 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after defeating the New York Mets on July 17, 2017 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

St. Louis Cardinals: Takeaways from the Gonzales trade by Tito Rivera-Bosques

The St. Louis Cardinals signed Dexter Fowler during the offseason as a way to add a spark to the lackluster 2016 team. Fowlers long contract was supposed to secure speed and energy and a skilled center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Then this year occurred. Fowler, to his credit, hasnt been terrible but has been battling a heel injury. We can safely stay there and avoid attacking his defense outright.

Additionally, Fowler was added to bring some pop to the lineup. Under Mike Mathenys inept leadership and pitiful hitting coaching by John Mabry, Fowler- a typical power threat in the lead-off spot- floundered there and most recently was moved to the number three spot to help the also-slumping Matt Carpenter return to his head-space-comfortable lead-off position.

These changes have helped but not the degree that the St. Louis Cardinals would have liked. Quickly let me add that Carp should remain in the lead-off spot but Im not sold that Fowler should be the number three hitter. Potentially more on that later.

Lets jump back to the defensive metrics. My gut had been telling me for a while that it might serve the St. Louis Cardinals better if Fowler were not patrolling center field. This morning, a huge shout-out to Cardinals Metrics, I saw this tweet that solidified my opinion:

Based on this metric alone, wouldnt it make better sense to put Tommy Pham in center and allow Fowler to slide to one of the corner spots? I would be more comfortable with the six defensive runs saved of Pham over the negative 13 runs saved by Fowler. Negative. Let me say again, negative!

If we look at offense, Pham is outpacing Fowler as well in BAbip. Through 277 plate appearances, Pham owns a .379 batting average on balls in play. That is a GREAT number. And Fowler? Through 325 plate appearances, Fowler owns a .271 BAbip. This advanced metric alone indicates that Pham is playing better than Fowler even when considering the larger sample size of Fowler.

Lets look at one more advanced batting metric ISO. This statistic considers only extra base hits. Fowler currently sits with a .215 while Pham owns a .220. Notice that Pham is hitting with greater pop but not by much.

Jumping to the chase, I am not advocating that Fowler be removed from games as I really like his play and his bat in the lineup. I am, however, advocating that Fowler NOT bat third and NOT play center.

I think there is a great deal of value in an experiment wherein Fowler bats lower in the lineup (taking the pressure of the three hole off his back) and wherein he patrols left or right field. In the same experiment, Pham would patrol center and would either continue to bat second or try him at the three spot.

What would the St. Louis Cardinals have to lose through such an experiment? Not much at this point in the season.

Oh, and perhaps moving Fowler to one of the corner spots could open the center field job for Christian Yelich should the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins arrange a trade before the deadline. Perhaps.

Want your voice heard? Join the Redbird Rants team!

Your turn; what would you do based on these stats? Would you move Fowler despite his saying he came to play center? Hit me up on Twitter and let me know. Thanks for reading!

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St. Louis Cardinals: Tommy Pham should play CF over Dexter Fowler - Redbird Rants

Results of an online survey, conducted by the cystic fibrosis (CF) community GeneFo, showed that a main concern of CF patients is their intimate lives and sexuality.

In an attempt to help CF patients and caregivers to find ways, alone or as a couple, to overcome the physical and emotional difficulties surroundingsexuality and sexual relations, GeneFo organized a free webinar lecture, led by sex therapist Tuppy Owens, for Wednesday, July 26.

Patients with CF or other chronic illnesses face a numberdifficulties in their daily lives. For many, achieving a healthy sex life can be challenging, and canimpacttheir psychological wellbeing.

CF has been associated with analtered body image, delayed puberty, and concerns of early death. In addition, an inadequateknowledge about the reproductive potential of people with CFcan alsolead to anxiety and frustration.

Partnersof young adults with CF can also experience mixed feelings about sex and intimacy. They may feel guiltyfor wanting to engage in sex, or for not feeling the same attractionto their partner as they once felt.

In addition, medical devices likegastrostomy tube/button or porta-cath (permanent intravenousaccess device) can affect a persons self-image, as dohealth-related problems likeurinary incontinence, infections, and frequent flatus (gas) caused by indigestion.

Clinicians and healthcare teams are, in most cases, focused on providing ways to improve disease symptoms and a patients general quality of life.The importance of mental and emotional health, however,is often forgotten or minimized although these relate, on many levels, to the social, intimate, and sexual aspects of a patients life.

According tothe results of the CF community survey, many patients responded strongly to a question such as: With all that I have to face; managing my condition, coping with debilitating symptoms, uncertainty, and changes in my life, how can I still have an enjoyable sex life and validate my desires?

TheGeneFo-sponsored online lecture will focus on sexuality in the context of chronic illnesses. Dr. Owens will address self-acceptance, incapacitating physical dysfunction, and other symptoms that may affect negatively a persons sexual life. She will also discuss how patients and caregivers can improve these aspects of their lives, and how intimacy can be created beyond sex.

We are very proud to be offering this important session for the CF community, to provide a useful and valuable resource and point of encouragement. Dr. Tuppy has been at the forefront of campaigning for and supporting people with chronic conditions/disabilities and has helped many patients find healthier and happier lives while rediscovering intimacy and sexuality. Her years of experience, openness, and profound sensitivity will resonate with those seeking answers and will address their unmet needs, Neer Ziskind, CEO of GeneFo, said in a release provided to Cystic Fibrosis News Today.

Registration for the webinar is free and can be done at https://www.genefo.com/signup_regular?webinar=25.

For further information, please contact Adi Bein (adi.bein@genefo.com), vice president of marketing and strategy at GeneFo.

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Cystic Fibrosis Patients Invited to Online Lecture on Intimacy and ... - Cystic Fibrosis News Today

Three triple-combination treatments fromVertexPharmaceuticalsshowed promising results in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with one F508del mutation and one so-called minimal function mutation (F508del/Min) in the CFTR gene, the defective gene that causes CF.

Vertexannounced that these are the first data to demonstrate that it is possible to treat the underlying cause of CFinpatients with these mutations, which are particularly difficult to treat.

Minimal function mutations are gene changes that leave the CFTR protein minimally functional or unable to function at all. Earlier studies showed that patients with these types of mutations are not responsive to treatment withKalydeco (ivacaftor),tezacaftor, or the combination of the two.

Two Phase 2 trials studied tezacaftorand Kalydecoin combination with eitherVX-440orVX-152, two investigational therapies thatare next-generation correctors of the defective CFTR protein.

The trials showed that patients improved their lung function, as measured by percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second(ppFEV1),and lowered the amount of chloride in their sweat, a measure of how well the CFTR protein works.

A Phase 1 clinical trial explored atriple combination with VX-659, which is another corrector.This study showed similar improvements in lung function and sweat chloride analyses.

The trials showed thatall of the treatmentswererelatively safe, with the majority of adverse events being mild or moderate.

These safety and efficacy data are clear and compelling, indicating significant potential benefit for people with CF from each of these three different triple combination regimens, Jeffrey Chodakewitz, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer at Vertex, said in apress release.

We will be collecting and evaluating additional data from these and other studies and will make a decision on which regimen(s) to take forward intopivotalprogram(s), which we expect to begin in the first half of 2018, Chodakewitz added.

The Phase 2 study (NCT02951182) is evaluating two doses of VX-440 200 mg and 600 mg every 12 hours in combination withtezacaftorand Kalydeco.The trial includes adult patients who have either two F508del mutations or the F508del/Min combination of mutations.

Among 47 patients with minimal function mutations analyzed so far, the average lung function was found to be improved by about 10-12%. Meanwhile, theamount of chloride in patients sweat decreased, indicating improved activity of the CFTR protein.

Researchers noted both of these positive effects in both dose groups (200 and 600 mg). In contrast, those who received a placebo had no changes in these parameters during four weeks of treatment.

The treatment was also beneficial to26 patients with two F508del mutations who were already receiving treatmentwith the tezacaftor-Kalydeco combo. These patients were randomized to receive either VX-440 or a placebo for four weeks.

Like the other patient group, the addition of VX-440 to the treatment plan improved lung function by 9.5%. It also significantly lowered sweat chloride levels.

A second Phase 2 trial (NCT02951195) studied three doses of VX-152 100 mg, 200 mg, and 300 mg every 12 hours together withtezacaftorand Kalydeco. Patients are adults with either two F508del mutations ora F508del/Minmutation combination.

In patients withF508del/Min mutations, two weeks of treatment allowed those in the lower dose group to improve by 5.6% on lung function tests, while those in the higher group improved by 9.7%. Sweat chloride levels also decreased in this study.

A similar result was observed in patients with two F508del mutations: 7.3% improvement in lung function and a decrease in sweat chloride levels.

The Phase 1 study (NCT03029455) differs in design from the Phase 2 trials as it evaluates increasing doses of VX-659 alone and in triple combination withtezacaftorand Kalydecoin healthy volunteers. The trialalso includes patients with the F508del/Min mutations.

As in the other studies, preliminary results showed an improvement of 9.6% in patientslung functionafter two weeks of treatment.

Patients with minimal function mutations have been waiting for a medicine to treat the underlying cause of their disease, which makes these data, showing pronounced improvements in lung function particularly important, said Steven M. Rowe, MD, co-chair of a steering committee of global CF experts who advise Vertex on the development of the triple combination treatments.

Its also encouraging to see that the addition of a next-generation corrector may lead to substantial additional benefits for patients with two copies of the F508del mutation, who were already receivingtezacaftorand ivacaftor, added Rowe, who is also a professor of medicine, pediatrics, and cell developmental and integrative biology at theUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham.

All three studies are still recruiting participants. More information and study locations can be found at the respective trial pages at these links:NCT02951182,NCT02951195, andNCT03029455.

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Data From Vertex's Triple-Combination Trials Show Promising Benefits for CF Patients - Cystic Fibrosis News Today