Cystic Fibrosis

In this year-end review, we are pleased to share personal highlights from members of the touchRESPIRATORY Editorial Board and this year's Future Leaders cohort, whose perspectives offer a window into the innovations that have most influenced clinical practice and research over the past 12 months. Their reflections capture not only the momentum of 2025, but also the promise of what lies ahead as the field continues to evolve.

July saw important advances in respiratory medicine, including new drug approvals and promising clinical trial results. Notable progress was made in treatments for lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary arterial hypertension, reflecting ongoing efforts to address challenging respiratory conditions. These developments highlight a dynamic period of innovation with the potential to improve patient outcomes and expand therapeutic options.

As touchRESPIRATORY approaches 10 years of providing education for busy respiratory specialists, we are looking to the future—and it certainly looks bright!

Physician burnout is at a critical point. In this episode, Nicky speaks with Dr Alfred Atanda about why so many physicians are burning out and what can be done to change the trend. From personal experience to system-wide solutions, Dr Atanda shares valuable insights on improving physician well-being and building a more effective healthcare culture.

What if your medical degree could launch more than a clinical career? In this candid and compelling read, Dr Jon Edelson shares his lessons for early-career clinicians ready to think beyond the bedside and explore the business of medicine.

In this episode, we explore the future of continuing medical education (CME) with the team behind touchIME. Hannah Fisher and Matthew Goodwin share insights into global and US trends, the importance of patient inclusivity and how educational outcomes are evolving to better measure the direct impact of learning on clinical practice and patient care.

As part of our Future Leaders series, we speak with Dr Helen Gavillet, a post-doctoral researcher at Northumbria University (UK) and Rising Star at RTI 2025. Dr Gavillet's research focuses on the lung microbiome in cystic fibrosis, particularly bacterial and fungal dynamics. Her research also examines the impact of CFTR modulators like elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor on respiratory microbiota.

A recent single-arm, phase 3 study (RIDGELINE VX21-121-105)1 published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine2 has shown positive results for vanzacaftor–tezacaftor–deutivacaftor in treating paediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, demonstrating improvements in lung function, sweat chloride levels and quality of life. This trial focused on children aged 6 to 11 years, a group often excluded from studies involving adults or older children, as well as key ages for CF treatment.

It was a pleasure to speak with Dr Molla Imaduddin Ahmed (Leicester Childrens' Hospital, Leicester, UK) around his abstract on ‘The impact of Symkevi (Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor) on exercise capacity in adolescents with CF.', which was presented at ERS International ...