New drug for Cardiology patients at Gloucestershire Hospitals

The Cardiology department at Gloucestershire Hospitals is one of handful of units in the UK, and the only hospital of its size in the country, currently granted permission to prescribe the new drug, Camyzos, under a 'shared care' agreement with the Bristol Heart Institute.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited heart condition and affects around one in 500 people in the UK. This chronic condition causes the heart muscle wall becomes thickened and stiff, making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood around the body.

Approximately 70% of HCM patients are affected by a form of this condition called 'obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy' (HOCM). This is a more debilitating manifestation whereby the thickened muscle wall physically blocks the flow of blood out of the heart, causing chronic shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness, as well as serious, life-altering complications, including heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke and in rare cases (~1%), sudden cardiac death.

In late 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended Camzyos (mavacamten) for use across NHS England and Wales in adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Following NICE’s final guidance, Camzyos will be used in eligible patients as an add-on to individually optimised standard care, which is limited to beta-blockers, non-dihydropyridine calcium-channel blockers or disopyramide, unless these are contraindicated.

Commenting on the introduction of the new drug, Dr Will Jenkins, a Consultant Cardiologist who works alongside Dr Ben Corden as specialists in inherited cardiac conditions at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“Although hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is relatively common, treatment options have historically been limited for those diagnosed with the condition, with high-risk heart surgery being the only option if our limited drug treatment options prove ineffective, which is often the case. However, the revolutionary treatment option which is now available to us results in a significantly improved quality of life in 93% of patients who take it and a reduction in the need for surgery by 83%. We are delighted to be able to offer this to our patients.”