Pulmonary disease is the major cause of mortality and morbidity in CF; hence, innovative treatments need to be aimed primarily at the airways.

Continuing exploration of innovative treatment, including gene therapy, is necessary.

Anti-inflammatory drugs, which can suppress the type of inflammation that is an early feature of CF lung disease, need to be developed.

In the future, the demand for donor lungs for transplantation will far outnumber supply; therefore, donation from relatives will need to be increasingly encouraged.

A fully funded European CF registry should be set up to monitor all trends and healthcare resource utilisation in CF patients.

New antimicrobial agents are needed to combat infections, particularly for organisms which are increasingly resistant to the currently available drugs.

New effective therapies safe enough to be given to young children before the onset of permanent lung damage need to be developed.

Currently, 0.4% of CF patients are alive due to a transplant. The possible use of transgenic animals as a source of supply of lungs for transplantation needs to be explored.