Pharmacy Daily | Cardiac drug on the PBS

PFIZER Australia's Vyndamax (tafamidis) is now listed on the PBS for treating fatal heart conditions related to amyloid disorders.

The drug is available for adults who suffer from wild-type or hereditary transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) with New York Heart Association Class I-II heart failure.

Pharmacy Daily spoke to Prof Liza Thomas, an interventional and consultant cardiologist, who emphasised the pharmacists' crucial role in disease management.

"Pharmacists play a vital role in the multidisciplinary approach to managing ATTR-CM, educating patients about their condition and the importance of medication adherence," Thomas explained.

"They provide specific guidance on dosing and administration of medications and help patients to understand how their medicine works as well about potential side effects of the drug."

She added, "working collaboratively with specialists, their goal is to optimise patient outcomes and improve quality of life for Australians living with this challenging condition".

Prof Thomas holds positions as Conjoint Prof at Sydney University and UNSW and is the Clinical Lead for non-invasive cardiac imaging at Westmead Hospital.

Vyndamax 61mg, a once-daily oral medication, is prescribed by cardiologists or consultant physicians experienced in treating amyloid disorders.

Its active ingredient, tafamidis, works by selectively binding to and stabilising the transthyretin protein, preventing it from misfolding and aiding its proper function.

Discussing the impact of this treatment, Thomas, who is also current Chair of the cardiac subcommittee of the Australian Amyloidosis Network, said, "with the availability of this listing, specialists now have an option for patients based on factors such as disease stage, symptoms, and individual patient characteristics". JG