Genzyme & CF Foundation Announce Collaboration

The collaboration aims to identify compounds known as 'correctors,' which may aid in the ability of the malfunctioning CFTR protein found in CF patients to operate correctly.

Genzyme and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. have signed a research agreement to develop new drugs to treat people with the most common mutation found in patients with cystic fibrosis, Delta F508.

The program's focus is to identify compounds known as "correctors," which may aid in the ability of the malfunctioning CFTR protein found in CF patients to operate correctly.

In the Delta F508 mutation, the CFTR protein does not move to its proper place at the cell surface, impeding the flow of fluids into the airways. Nearly 90 percent of people with CF have at least one copy of the Delta F508 mutation.

In this collaboration, researchers will evaluate different