New cystic fibrosis pill greatly improves patients' quality of life

The defective gene in cystic fibrosis causes the production of abnormally thick and sticky mucus, which gums up the lungs, causing a persistent cough with sputum, wheezing and high risk of lung infections, among others. — AFP

David Fiant says his cystic fibrosis and the arduous therapy it required was so bad he "could no longer tell if I was living to heal myself or healing myself to live".

While waiting for a lung transplant, he was on oxygen therapy and had a six-hour daily care regime, as well as three to four weeks of antibiotic infusions a year.