Protecting Heart Health for Patients with Cardiomyopathy

Specialty Medications are Critical and use the same structure for including the web address and phone number.

Taylor Orton, Pharm.D.
Quality & Compliance Coordinator
ChristianaCare Specialty Pharmacy
833-570-2697

Evelyn Choe, Pharm.D.
Clinical Pharmacist ChristianaCare Specialty Pharmacy
ChristianaCare Specialty Pharmacy
833-570-2697

“It can be a long process for patients to get diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. After diagnosis, patients need medications to help prevent disease progression,” says Taylor Orton, Quality and Compliance Coordinator with ChristianaCare Specialty Pharmacy. “Working with a Specialty Pharmacy with access to these medications is crucial.”

ChristianaCare Specialty Pharmacy provides our patients with convenient access to these critical medications. ChristianaCare specialty pharmacists partner with our cardiologists to offer the most time-efficient care possible for you and your medications. Pharmacy staff can also help smooth the insurance approval process for these newer medications.

Because cardiomyopathy is difficult to diagnose, it is common for patients to see multiple providers and to spend, on average, two to three years for accurate diagnosis. Therefore, providers frequently need more valuable treatment time. They must act as soon as they know a patient has this condition.

Patients can experience several types of cardiomyopathies. ChristianaCare’s Specialty Pharmacy focuses on offering specialty medications for amyloidosis, a form of restrictive cardiomyopathy that leads to buildup on the heart muscles that makes them stiff. This condition can affect anyone, but it develops more in older adults.

There are multiple types of cardiac amyloidosis, which is a type of cardiomyopathy caused by a malformed protein called transthyretin. Transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a type of cardiac amyloidosis for which VYNDAMAX® and VYNDAQEL® is indicated. Over time, clumps of transthyretin (called fibrils) collect in the heart muscle. This debris makes it harder for a patient’s heart to beat normally.

ChristianaCare specialty pharmacists work with cardiologists to combat ATTR-CM and provide VYNDAMAX® and VYNDAQEL®. Both are daily oral medications containing the same active ingredient, tafamidis. VYNDAQEL® requires four 20mg capsules once daily, and VYNDAMAX® is a single 61mg capsule taken once daily.

With ATTR-CM, the protein becomes weak and unstable. As a result, it builds up in the heart muscle. These medications attach to the malformed protein and stabilize it, thereby preventing its buildup in the heart muscle. It helps keep the protein together. This way, the protein doesn’t build up in deposits throughout the heart and preserves heart function.

A recent study published in Circulation: Heart Failure showed that these medications work equally well. They both reduce hospitalizations and deaths related to cardiac amyloidosis. After approximately five years, patients taking daily medication had better survival rates than those who did not.

Based on the study results, VYNDAMAX® and VYNDAQEL® helped reduce the rate of hospitalizations and improved patient quality of life. Overall, the medications improved symptoms and slowed down disease progression.

These medicines are still new. That means patients may face hurdles with their insurance coverage.

Some insurance providers need extensive information to justify covering the medication. ChristianaCare pharmacists work closely with cardiologists and cardiac nurses to overcome these obstacles and gather the necessary details to support prescription coverage.

ChristianaCare pharmacists communicate actively with providers through our electronic medical records system and other methods. These conversations ensure insurance companies get the information they need to approve VYNDAMAX® and VYNDAQEL® quickly.

This type of rapid communication is vital if insurance companies deny coverage. Pharmacists write and send letters that may alter payer decisions in those cases. When we write appeal letters, we use all our resources and provide as much documentation as possible. In the appeal letter, we explain how the medication works. We also offer evidence highlighting how it reduces hospitalizations and can help extend life.

ChristianaCare’s pharmacists are dedicated to helping patients get these life-saving medications as quickly as possible.

To learn more about the ChristianaCare Specialty Pharmacy and the primary conditions we treat, contact us [Link to: https://christianacare.org/us/en/care/specialty-care/pharmacy/specialty-pharmacy] or call 833-570-2697 [Link to 833-570-2697].

Source: Long-Term Survival With Tafamidis in Patients With Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy — 20 December 2021. [Link to: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.120.008193].

Disclaimer: Information about the medications mentioned in this article, including their availability and potential efficacy, is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information provided is not intended to promote the use of any drug for any condition other than those approved by the FDA.

• Individual results may vary, and the effectiveness of these drugs may depend on various factors, including the specific health condition and other treatments the patient is receiving.
• These drugs may have side effects or interactions with other medications, which should be reviewed. Consult the manufacturer’s claims/guide for each medication or a qualified pharmacist for more information.
• Availability of any drug is subject to change, and coverage by insurance or reimbursement options may vary.