What Is Camzyos Approved For?
Camzyos (mavacamten) treats symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in adults. HCM involves abnormal thickening of the heart muscle, which obstructs blood flow from the left ventricle. Camzyos reduces this obstruction by inhibiting myosin, a protein that drives heart muscle contraction, helping normalize muscle function and symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain 1.
How Does It Target Heart Muscle Thickening?
In obstructive HCM, the thickened septum between heart chambers blocks outflow. Camzyos decreases excessive contractility, reducing the dynamic obstruction caused by hypertrophy without directly shrinking the muscle tissue. Clinical trials (like EXPLORER-HCM) showed it improved peak oxygen uptake and reduced post-exercise left ventricular outflow tract gradients in patients with thickened hearts 1.
Who Qualifies for Camzyos Treatment?
It's for adults with New York Heart Association class II-III symptoms and left ventricular ejection fraction ≥55%. Patients need genetic testing to rule out obstructive causes and regular echocardiograms to monitor heart function, as low ejection fraction requires stopping the drug 2.
What Happens If Heart Thickening Isn't Obstructive?
Camzyos lacks approval for non-obstructive HCM, where thickening exists without outflow blockage. Trials focused on obstructive cases; non-obstructive use is off-label and not recommended due to risks like heart failure 1.
Common Side Effects and Monitoring Needs
Patients report dizziness (37%), heart failure (5-8%), and palpitations. REMS program mandates echocardiograms every 12 weeks initially, then less often, due to asymptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction risk 2. No patent expiry data available on DrugPatentWatch.com for Camzyos 5.