Geisinger Enrolls First Patient in Amyloid Cardiomyopathy Trial

May 20, 2024 — Cardiologist Brendan Carry, MD, and a team of Danville, PA-based Geisinger Medical Center physicians have enrolled the first patient in the U.S. into a cardiac amyloidosis trial. The team is also the first to in the U.S. to screen for the trial.

“If a patient qualifies for the clinical trial, it will allow us to provide a treatment option when they receive an amyloidosis diagnosis without having to travel outside of the region for care,” said Carry. “Geisinger is at the forefront of research and technological advancements that allow for better patient outcomes and improvements in their quality of life.”

Cardiac amyloidosis is caused by protein buildup between the muscle cells of the heart, increasing the thickness of the heart. As these proteins build up, the heart becomes thicker and struggles to pump blood. Over time as the heart thickens, heart failure develops.

Patients with amyloidosis can inherit it from their parents or develop the condition on their own. Signs include common heart failure symptoms, such as swelling in the extremities, increased shortness of breath and weight gain. Patients may also have neuropathy symptoms, weakness, difficulty walking, tingling or numbness in their limbs, a decrease in blood pressure when adjusting positions and carpal tunnel syndrome.

The trial is a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that evaluates the safety and effectiveness of amyloid deplete ALXN2220 in participants with transthyretin (TTR) amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

To be considered for the trial, patients must be between the ages of 18 to 90, have a confirmed diagnosis of ATTR-CM with transthyretin that is either wild-type TTR or a variant TR genotype, and have not received prior treatment with an ATTR amyloid depleter.

This clinical trial is sponsored by Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

For more information: www.geisinger.org