Tag: milind desai

Longer Term Results for Mavacamten

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The VALOR-HCM trial  was a Phase 3 clinical trial which compared the Bristol Myers Squibb drug mavacamten (brand name Camzyos) to septal reduction therapy (myectomy and septal alcohol ablation) over a 16 week period.  At the end of the 16 week period, the patients originally randomized to the placebo were prescribed mavacamten, while those originally prescribed mavacamten continued taking the drug for an additional 16 weeks for a total of 32 weeks

At last weekend’s American Heart Association meeting in Chicago and simultaneously published in Circulation, lead investigator Dr. Milind Desai of the Cleveland Clinic announced that after 32 weeks of mavacamten treatment, patients continued to see positive cardiac remodeling, as well as improvement to left ventricular outflow tract gradient, diastolic function and quality of life. This ultimately allowed a whopping 88% of patients enrolled in the trial to avoid a septal reduction procedure. 

Similar results were noted in those patients who began mavacamten after an initial 16 weeks on a placebo.

This is good news for HCM patients!

VALOR-HCM Trial – Mavacamten vs. Septal Reduction Therapy – RESULTS ARE IN!

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The Phase 3 VALOR-HCM trial results were presented this morning at the American College of Cardiology annual meeting in Washington, DC by the principal investigator, Dr. Milind Desai of the Cleveland Clinic, and the results are good!

What was the VALOR-HCM study?

15 – 20  million people worldwide are estimated to have HCM, with 2/3 of this group having the obstructive form which can cause severe symptoms. Historically, these patients have been treated with medications approved for other conditions, and if those don’t relieve symptoms, they are referred on for septal reduction therapies (SRT) like alcohol septal ablation (a catheter based procedure) or septal myectomy (open heart surgery), which are invasive therapies requiring specialized care and which are not widely available.

The VALOR study was designed to compare mavacamten head to head with SRT to see if mavacamten could be a non-invasive treatment alternative for obstructive HCM.

Continue reading “VALOR-HCM Trial – Mavacamten vs. Septal Reduction Therapy – RESULTS ARE IN!” →

New Educational Resource for HCM Patients

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NOTE:  As of July, 2018 the website and app have been updated to include even more information for HCM patients. Check it out.

Have you heard that there is a new online educational resource about HCM? Check out HCM Care.com, an informational website about HCM developed by MyoKardia in partnership with Duke Clinical Research Institute.

This website features general information about HCM including diagnosis, testing, treatment, lifestyle, genetics and family screening.  It is also available as a FREE downloadable app for both Apple and Android operating systems.

Click here to find on iTunes and Google Play.
HCMCare features video clips from the following physicians:

  • Dr. James Daubert from Duke University Medical Center
  • Dr. Milind Desai from Cleveland Clinic
  • Dr. Carolyn Ho from Brigham and Women’s Hospital
  • Dr. Martin Maron from Tufts Medical Center
  • Dr. Andrew Wang from Duke University Medical Center

Be sure to check out HCMCare, as well as many other helpful resources which are listed on HCMBeat’s Resources page.