First treatment for rare heart condition to be available in England

An innovative drug, tafamidis, will be available from 13 May for NHS patients in England with the rare heart condition transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).Patients with ATTR-CM have a build-up of protein in the heart which often results in heart failure and can be fatal. Symptoms include shortness of breath, palpitations and abnormal heart rhythms, fatigue, fainting, and chest pain. Previous treatment options have been limited and focus on symptom management and supportive care.Tafamidis works by slowing the build-up of protein deposits, with clinical trials showing a 41% reduction in the risk of death in patients taking the treatment compared with patients taking a placebo. Patients receiving tafamidis through clinical trials also experienced fewer hospital admissions because of their condition than the placebo group.NHS England said more than 1000 patients will be able to benefit from the once-a-day capsule.The drug is available through interim funding from the Innovative Medicines Fund after…
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