NIPER Mohali cracks cystic fibrosis code with global study

A research milestone with global implications for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) has been achieved by a team led by Prof Dipika Bansal from the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Mohali.

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, a prestigious high-impact journal from The Lancet family, marks a significant advance in evidence-based CF treatment options.

The work — conducted under Prof Bansal’s leadership as Principal Investigator of the Technical Resource Centre (TRC) established by the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare — offers the most definitive comparison yet of global CFTR modulators used in patients carrying the common phe508del mutation.

The team synthesised evidence from 29 randomised controlled trials across international sites, undertaking one of the most extensive network meta-analyses in this therapy domain.

The analysis conclusively identified vanzacaftor-tezacaftor-deutivacaftor and elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor as the most effective therapeutic options currently available for adults with the mutation. By rigorously comparing efficacy and safety profiles, the research equips clinicians worldwide with robust, comparative data to strengthen patient-centred decision-making in CF treatment.

The study exemplifies a strong multicentric collaboration, bringing together experts from premier medical institutions, including PGIMER Chandigarh’s Dr Pankaj C Vaidya and Dr Jitendra Kumar Sahu, and AIIMS-New Delhi’s Dr Pawan Tiwari.

The collective strengths in advanced statistical methods, clinical research and pharmacotherapy helped address a critical global evidence gap in CF care.