Friday, August 8, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Medicine

New drug makes exercise, everyday tasks easier for people with common heart condition

May 13, 2024
in Medicine
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
New drug makes exercise, everyday tasks easier for people with common heart condition
66
SHARES
604
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

People with a common heart condition were able to use significantly more oxygen while exercising after taking an investigational drug in an international clinical trial, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The finding was also presented today at the European Society of Cardiology’s Heart Failure 2024 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

People with a common heart condition were able to use significantly more oxygen while exercising after taking an investigational drug in an international clinical trial, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine. The finding was also presented today at the European Society of Cardiology’s Heart Failure 2024 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

Oregon Health & Science University is part of the randomized, double-blind Phase 3 trial that is evaluating the experimental drug aficamten, which was developed by Cytokinetics to treat the obstructive form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM. Of the 282 adults participating in the trial, 19 enrolled through OHSU — the most of any trial center.

“By having more oxygen available during exercise, patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can more easily walk, perform household chores, and do other everyday tasks,” said cardiologist Ahmad Masri, M.D., M.S., who co-wrote today’s paper and directs the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center. “Our latest clinical trial results suggest aficamten is a promising treatment for HCM.”

HCM affects about 1 in 500 people and is one of the most common causes of sudden death for youth and otherwise healthy athletes. Often caused by inherited gene mutations, it thickens heart muscles and makes it difficult for the heart to work as it should. It causes shortness of breath and reduces people’s ability to exercise. The obstructive form of HCM reduces blood flow out of the heart.

About half of the trial’s participants were given the experimental drug, and the other half took a placebo and served as the study’s control group. Scientists measured the participants’ oxygen levels while they used treadmills or bicycles. Those who took aficamten had a significant increase in their maximum oxygen use — 1.7 milliliters per kilogram per minute more than those in the control group. 

Having an increased peak oxygen uptake can improve a patient’s ability to be physically active, whereas reduced oxygen uptake can increase the risk of experiencing heart failure, needing a heart transplant, and dying.

Non-drug treatment options for obstructive HCM include surgery to remove excess heart muscle. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration also approved mavacamten as the first drug designed to target the underlying cause of obstructive HCM. However, mavacamten may increase the risk of heart failure and it interacts with several commonly used medications. As a result, patients who use mavacamten must also undergo intense monitoring.

During the past decade, OHSU has been involved in many research studies exploring new HCM treatment options. It has been a center for several mavacamten studies and is participating in gene therapy research. The university is also currently involved in four other aficamten trials that are evaluating it as a potential treatment for various forms of HCM and in different types of patients, including children.

“This is an exciting time for treating HCM,” Masri said. “While we continue to offer traditional surgical and procedural therapies for HCM, we are now also able to offer patients other treatment options: therapies that were recently approved by the FDA and investigational therapies that are available by participating in clinical trials.”

REFERENCE: Martin S. Maron, Ahmad Masri, Michael E. Nassif, Roberto Barriales-Villa,  Michael Arad, Nuno Cardim, Lubna Choudhury, Brian Claggett, Caroline J. Coats, Hans-Dirk Düngen, Pablo Garcia-Pavia, Albert A. Hagège, James L. Januzzi, Matthew M.Y. Lee, Gregory D. Lewis, Chang-Sheng Ma, Michelle Michels, Iacopo Olivotto,  Artur Oreziak, Anjali T. Owens, John A. Spertus, Scott D. Solomon, Jacob Tfelt-Hansen, Marion van Sinttruije, Josef Veselka, Hugh Watkins, Daniel L. Jacoby, Stephen B. Heitner, Stuart Kupfer, Fady I. Malik, Lisa Meng, Amy Wohltman, Theodore P. Abraham, Aficamten for Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, New England Journal of Medicine, May 13, 2024, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2401424,

This research was supported by Cytokinetics.

In the interest of ensuring the integrity of our research and as part of our commitment to public transparency, OHSU actively regulates, tracks and manages relationships that our researchers may hold with entities outside of OHSU. In regards to this research, Dr. Ahmad Masri has received research grants from Cytokinetics and payments for consulting from Cytokinetics, MBS, Tenaya and BioMarin. Review details of OHSU’s conflict of interest program to find out more about how we manage these business relationships.



Journal

New England Journal of Medicine

DOI

10.1056/NEJMoa2401424

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Aficamten for Symptomatic Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Article Publication Date

13-May-2024

COI Statement

In the interest of ensuring the integrity of our research and as part of our commitment to public transparency, OHSU actively regulates, tracks and manages relationships that our researchers may hold with entities outside of OHSU. In regards to this research, Dr. Ahmad Masri has received research grants from Cytokinetics and payments for consulting from Cytokinetics, MBS, Tenaya and BioMarin. Review details of OHSU’s conflict of interest program to find out more about how we manage these business relationships.

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

In a reservoir in Southeast Brazil, introduction of a fish native to the Amazon has reduced native species diversity

Next Post

Researchers unveil unique tidal disruption event with unprecedented early optical bump

Related Posts

blank
Medicine

Mobile App Significantly Lowers Suicidal Behavior in High-Risk Patients

August 8, 2025
blank
Medicine

Conjugated Lipopetide Antibiotics Target Candida auris

August 8, 2025
blank
Medicine

Initial Immune System Challenges Impact Oral Health

August 8, 2025
blank
Medicine

The Meditation App Revolution: Science Backs the Movement

August 8, 2025
blank
Medicine

Astrocyte CXCL10 Drives Brain Injury After Hemorrhage

August 8, 2025
blank
Medicine

Multimodal Neuromonitoring in Neonates on ECMO

August 8, 2025
Next Post
Researchers unveil unique tidal disruption event with unprecedented early optical bump

Researchers unveil unique tidal disruption event with unprecedented early optical bump

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27531 shares
    Share 11009 Tweet 6881
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    943 shares
    Share 377 Tweet 236
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    641 shares
    Share 256 Tweet 160
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    507 shares
    Share 203 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    310 shares
    Share 124 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Anthelmintic Impact and Ascaris Infection in Pakistani Children
  • Rare Case: Tracheal Bronchus Complicates Pulmonary Agenesis
  • Microbial Resilience in Arid Soils Fueled by Stochastic Dynamics
  • Studying Bamboo Coral: A Key Mediterranean Ecosystem Indicator

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Success! An email was just sent to confirm your subscription. Please find the email now and click 'Confirm Follow' to start subscribing.

Join 4,860 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine