Cytokinetics’ drug more effective for heart disease symptoms than standard-of-care

Cytokinetics’ drug more effective for heart disease symptoms than standard-of-care

• Aficamten shows cardiac benefits over blood pressure drug metoprolol
• Analysts see potential for aficamten to replace beta-blocker drugs for treating HCM
• Cytokinetics plans to submit data to regulators for expanded use next year

Cytokinetics’ CYTK experimental drug improved symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain better than a standard-of-care treatment in patients with a type of heart condition, detailed late-stage study data on Sunday showed.

The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid, Spain, augment the promising evidence shared in May for the effectiveness of the drug, aficamten, over current treatments.

Detailed results of the 175-patient trial indicated aficamten had clear cardiac benefits over the blood pressure drug metoprolol in the head-to-head study, including reduced blockage and improved blood outflow from the heart.

The U.S. health regulator is expected to decide by December on the drug for patients whether or not they received the current standard treatment.

After 24 weeks, patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited condition, given aficamten showed an average increase of 1.1 millilitre per kg/minute in peak oxygen uptake, a key measure of heart function, while those on metoprolol saw a decline.

Over half of the aficamten patients showed an improvement in physical limitations, compared to 26% on metoprolol. Patients reported improved quality of life as measured on a commonly used questionnaire.

Some analysts have said aficamten has the potential to replace metoprolol, which belongs to a class of drugs called beta-blockers, as the first treatment given to patients with the heart condition.

“This study provides profound grounds for replacing beta-blockers by aficamten,” said cardiologist and one of the principal investigators Dr. Pablo García-Pavia.

The drug reduces the forceful heart muscle contractions linked to the condition, Cytokinetics said. It belongs to the same drug class as Bristol Myers Squibb’s BMY approved treatment Camzyos.

CEO Robert Blum said Cytokinetics plans to submit this data to regulators next year for expanded use of the drug.

RBC Capital analysts have estimated $900 million in peak sales for aficamten as a first-line treatment alone by 2034.