What the trial was testing
The SKYLINE enrolled 597 patients with cystic fibrosis. The study was sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
The new once-daily pill worked just as well as the current standard treatment in maintaining lung function.
The Lancet. Respiratory medicine · 2025 · NCT05076149
These findings — that new pill worked as well with simpler dosing schedule — were published in the The Lancet. Respiratory medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 597 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with cystic fibrosis, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you have cystic fibrosis and are on Trikafta (the current standard), this new once-daily option could simplify your routine without sacrificing results. The treatment is not yet FDA-approved, but these strong results from a large trial suggest it may become available soon. Talk to your CF care team about whether this option might be right for you when it becomes available.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open cystic fibrosis trials
Testing Drug Efficacy in Cystic Fibrosis Through N-of-1 Trials
The purpose of this study is to validate and utilize a personalized medicine approach to identify potential treatments with current FDA approved CFTR modifiers for non-approved CF gene mutations. The study will perform ex vivo testing of CFTR function and current marketed CFTR modulating drugs on expanded nasal cells at Cincinnati Children's Human Nasal Epithelium (HNE) Core Laboratory. The results will be confirmed and translated into bedside care through an N of 1 trial to determine effectiveness of treatment.
Ensuring Access to Optimal Therapy in CF: The ENACT Study
This clinical trial is examining the action and effects of several new drugs in the treatment of cystic fibrosis in children. In addition, several genetic factors are examined. The hope is that the ability to determine prior to treatment those individuals who will or will not respond to existing therapies will avoid needless risk of side effects and the high cost of a potentially ineffective treatment regimen. Understanding the way these drugs work in the body and the best way to study them is critical to expanding the use of these drugs to all patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).