Tag: healthcare

Will Cytokinetics New HCM Drug Challenge Camzyos?

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Cytokinetics, a San Francisco biotech company, is hoping that its experimental HCM drug, aficamten, will soon be a competitor to Bristol Myers Squibb’s first-in-class myosin inhibitor Camzyos (mavacamten). Aficamten is an oral cardiac myosin inhibitor which, like Camzyos, treats HCM by reducing the the excessive number of interactions between cardiac myosin proteins.

An earlier Phase 2 study called Redwood-HCM established the safety of the drug.  The positive results of Redwood-HCM led to the Phase 3 study entitled Sequoia – HCM.

Topline results of Sequoia-HCM were presented in late December of 2023, while primary results and data from the study were presented on May 13 at tthe European Society of Cardiology Heart Congress meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal.  The complete paper was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on May 13, 2024.

The Study:  The study enrolled 282 patients with obstructive HCM.  Half were assigned to the drug while half took a placebo drug instead.  The total period of observation for the study was 28 weeks.  Patients enrolled in the study took aficamten for 24 weeks, followed by a 4 week period for washout of the drug.  Patients in both groups were allowed to stay on background therapies including beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and disopyramide.

Primary Endpoint:   The primary endpoint of the study, as well as all 10 secondary endpoints, were met with statistically meaningful results.  The primary endpoint showed an improvement to exercise capacity, quantified by an increase in peak oxygen uptake (pVO2) as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a treadmill or bike by 1.8 ml/kg/min over a period of 24 weeks.

The study results also met multiple secondary endpoints including:

Subjective Improvement in Symptoms:  Patients scores showed a 7 point increase on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire.  This is a questionnaire that has been validated for measuring heart failure symptoms over time by asking individuals repeated questions about how they are feeling.

Improvement in functional capacity:  34% of patients experiencing ≥1 class improvement as measured by New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (which is determined by the medical team after observation and questioning).

Septal Reduction Therapy Eligibility:  Almost all of the patients who qualified for septal reduction therapy at the start of the study no longer qualified for invasive septal reduction therapies at the end (i.e. septal myectomy and septal alcohol ablation).

Safety:  Aficamten was found to be safe and well tolerated.  There was no need to interrupt treatment for heart failure when a patient’s ejection fraction fell below 50%.  If a patient’s ejection fraction (EF) did fall below 50%, the EF recovered either spontaneously or when the aficamten dosage was decreased.

No differences in response were seen in responders based on age, sex or usage of background drug therapies.

When will Aficamten be available to patients? 

Cytokinetics expects to file for regulatory approval in both the U.S. and Europe by the end of the 2024.  They hope that they will be able to bring the drug to market by the end of 2025, depending on the timing and results of the regulatory process.  The prescribing information and any restrictions surrounding use (i.e. the necessity and frequency of repeat echocardiograms and REMS program, both which are mandated for Camzyos) will also be determined by regulators.

For more about aficamten see these past blogs on HCMBeat:

Is Aficamten the Blockbuster Drug Cytokinetics is Hoping For?

Cytokinetics Teases Upcoming Phase 3 Aficamten Trial in nHCM

Promising Data about Aficamten Presented at Meetings

Aficamten Updates from Cytokinetics

More on Aficamten & Mavacamten from ACC 2022

Aficamten Gets “Breakthrough Drug” Status from FDA

Cytokinetic’s Drug Aficamten & Upcoming HCM Summit – Interview with Dr. Martin Maron

2024 Updated Guidelines for Management and Treatment of HCM

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The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy published in 2020 have been updated for 2024 to address certain new developments in the field including the addition of myosin inhibitor such as Camzyos (mavacamten) to the treatment arsenal, as well as the benefits of exercise for the HCM population.

The 2024 guidelines update the most recent version published in 2020.  In the past,  guidelines were only updated every decade or so, but with the recognition of major changes in the treatment of HCM with the addition of new drugs such as mavacamten, AHA/ACC wants to keep the guidelines current with emerging developments.  Guidelines are compiled following review and discussion by a committee of HCM experts with reference to the latest published HCM literature.  The document addresses the broad spectrum of issues seen by medical professionals who are called upon to diagnose and treat patients and families affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Two patients served on the writing committee for this 2024 update:  Cynthia Burstein Waldman, a HCM patient who is the Founder and Editor of the blog HCMBeat was privileged to sit on the writing committee alongside congenital heart patient and 2020 guidelines committee member Lauren Evanovich and the esteemed panel of medical professionals. Together the committee members discussed the latest research and determined best practices for addressing all facets of HCM.  The inclusion of patients on the committee provides a real world perspective focusing the discussion through the lens and experience of people who have actually lived through and dealt with these and similar medical issues. Lauren and I hope and believe that our input was useful and we are grateful to have played a small part in moving things forward for HCM patients.

Some key updates to the 2024 guidelines include:

  • New Drug Options:  Cardiac myosin inhibitors such as Bristol Myers Squibb’s mavacamten (Camzyos) are now an option to treat patients with obstructive HCM who do not see improvement to their symptoms from first line drug treatments like beta blockers and calcium channel blockers.
  • Exercise:  Exercise is beneficial to patients with HCM and has not been associated with increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias as previously feared and reflected in prior guidelines which urged caution with regard to exercise. Current research reflects the cardiovascular benefit to all, including HCM patients, of moderate exercise.  However, it is critical to seek input from HCM experts and engage in shared decision making about the risks and benefits of exercise before undertaking an exercise program. This discussion should be repeated at regular intervals.
  • Shared Decision Making:  The 2020 and 2024 guidelines emphasize the process of shared decision-making between patients and medical providers.  Medical providers should provide an overview of all testing and treatment options, and engage the patient in a complete discussion of all risks and benefits.  Most importantly, the patient is encouraged to share their own goals, values, and concerns which should inform the final decision.
  • Referral to HCM Specialty Centers Encouraged:  Referral to specialized HCM Centers with expertise in treatment of the disease is important.  Expert advice is especially important where the treatment path is not clearly defined, or for HCM specific procedures and complex treatment and lifestyle decisions.
  • Atrial Fibrillation:  HCM patients with atrial fibrillation, whether it is persistent or paroxysmal (sporadic), have a heightened risk of stroke. Therefore, there should be a low threshold for prescribing anti-coagulant drugs for HCM patients with AFib without regard to traditional stroke risk scoring systems, i.e. the CHADS-VASc score.  Maintenance of sinus rhythm and rate control are key treatment goals.

For key patient takeaway messages from the guidelines click HERE.

For a complete look at the guidelines click HERE.

For a video of the Writing Committee Chair Dr. Steve Ommen and Co-Chair Dr. Carolyn Ho talking about the new guidelines, as well as other and related resources, click HERE.

Delays Common in HCM Diagnosis

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As many as 60% of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy don’t receive an appropriate diagnosis when they first come to medical attention.

In fact, HCM patients receive on average of 4 misdiagnoses before finally receiving an accurate HCM diagnosis and appropriate treatment.  A recent paper highlights the this issue which is largely due to a lack of knowledge of HCM in the medical community.  Even cardiologists often fail to accurately diagnose and treat HCM, emphasizing something that those of us with HCM already know – not all cardiologists are equal when it comes to recognizing and treating HCM.  Experts are key! 

Medical professional and patient education and awareness initiatives are critical to address these issues. Hopefully, over time we will start to see improvements to HCM diagnosis and treatment now that there are increasingly new professional and educational initiatives focused on and around HCM, such as the HCM Society.