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"Therapeutic Hope" Emerging for Cardiac Amyloidosis; Download ASNC's Practice Points Today

In a recent interview, ASNC Immediate Past President Prem Soman, MD, PhD, MASNC, described how the planets are aligning to enable cardiologists to offer “therapeutic hope” to patients with cardiac amyloidosis who previously faced only a “nihilistic” future.

One of those essential “planets” came into alignment May 6, when the Food and Drug Administration announced approval of Pfizer's tafamidis meglumine (Vyndaqel) and tafamidis (Vyndamaz) for the treatment of the cardiomyopathy of wild-type or hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis in adults to reduce cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalization.

As discussed in this video, filmed before the FDA approvals, research has demonstrated the validity of 99mTc-PYP to detect the cardiac amyloidosis. The availability of a proven noninvasive nuclear test option plus the availability of medications “forecast a much brighter future for patients with cardiac amyloidosis,” says Dr. Soman, who notes that 10 percent of HFpEF patients may have wild-type cardiac amyloidosis.

Dr. Soman is urging ASNC members to help raise awareness of this condition and the new potential for diagnosing and treating patients. To get started, access ASNC's extensive library of cardiac amyloidosis resources, including webinars; guidelines; newly updated practice points; articles from peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Nuclear Cardiology; and blog posts from practicing nuclear cardiologists.

 For in-person cardiac amyloidosis education, there's no better resource than ASNC2019. The meeting will feature practice, case-based sessions spanning multiple tracks. Check out the preliminary program, and join us Sept. 12-15 in Chicago. 
 

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