NHS patients with a life-threatening
Patients receiving tafamidis through clinical trials also experienced fewer hospitalisations due to their condition than the placebo group.
The drug is available on the NHS from today (13 May) thanks to interim funding from the Innovative Medicines Fund after the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) gave the treatment the green light.
Around 1,500 people across England have been diagnosed with ATTR-CM.
Everyday symptoms of the condition can include shortness of breath, palpitations and abnormal heart rhythms, fatigue, fainting and chest pain.
Previous treatment options for ATTR-CM have been limited and mainly focus on symptom management and supportive care.
Heath Minister, Andrew Stephenson, said: “We’re working to make healthcare faster, simpler and fairer for everyone, including people with very rare conditions such as this.
“Thanks to the Innovative Medicines Fund, patients with this life-threating condition will be able to access the new medicine on the NHS immediately at a price that is fair to the taxpayer”.
