An Experimental Drug Almost 80% Effective

A new experimental drug, mavacameten, may avert heart surgery or other therapies to lessen the thickness of the septum. Findings from a clinical trial were presented at the 71^st annual American College of Cardiology scientific session. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes heart muscle thickening, leading to palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting, chest pain, and, in people under 30, it is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. It affects 1 in 500 people in the US.

Of 112 patients in the trial, half received placebo and half received the oral myosin inhibitor mavacamten. After 16 weeks, almost 77% of the placebo group still met the criteria for surgery, compared to only 18% of the mavacamten group. Mavacamten reduced heart muscle stiffness, excessive contractions, and improved quality of life. Principal investigator Milind Desai, MD, MBA, director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center and director of clinical operations in Cleveland Clinic’s Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute, stated, “These results could give what can be a very sick patient population a non-invasive therapy alternative.”

 

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• cardiovascular

• clinical trials

• medication

• research/study

• Surgery