Tafamidis treats transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy

(HealthDay)—In patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, treatment with tafamidis reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations versus placebo, according to a study published in the Sept. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Mathew S. Maurer, M.D., from Columbia University in New York City, and colleagues randomly assigned 441 patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in a 2:1:2 ratio to receive tafamidis 80 mg, tafamidis 20 mg, or placebo for 30 months.

The researchers found that all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.7) and rates of cardiovascular-related hospitalizations (relative risk ratio, 0.68) were lower among the 264 patients who received tafamidis than the 177 patients who received placebo. Tafamidis was also associated with a lower rate of decline in distance for the six-minute walk test and a lower rate of decline in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-Overall Summary score at month 30. Incidence and types of adverse events were similar between the two groups.

"In patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, tafamidis was associated with reductions in all-cause mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalizations and reduced the decline in functional capacity and quality of life as compared with placebo," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, which funded the study.