Managed Healthcare Executive: Mavacamten, First-in-Class Therapy, May Soon Be Available for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

A therapy on the horizon could be the first to specifically treat the underlying cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Bristol Myers Squibb’s mavacamten is a potential first-in-class therapy that addresses the excessive contraction of the heart that leads to severe disease where the blood flow is obstructed.

At the 70th American College of Cardiology Scientific Session in May 2021, an analysis of the data on mavacamten effect on patients’ quality of life was presented. Data were also reported in The Lancet. The analysis was based on patient responses on the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, a disease-specific measure of patients' health status. Investigators found that mavacamten improved the health status of patients compared with placebo, and a greater proportion of mavacamten patients achieved clinically meaningful improvement (≥20 points), as measured by the Kansas City questionnaire, compared with placebo, 36% vs. 15%.

“By using this tool, we were able to demonstrate substantial clinical benefits for patients taking mavacamten in the trial, which diminished when patients ended treatment,” lead study investigator, John A. Spertus, M.D., M.P.H., clinical director of outcomes research at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, said.

Read the full Managed Healthcare Executive article: Mavacamten, First-in-Class Therapy, May Soon Be Available for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy