Camzyos
Camzyos (mavacamten) is a medication used for adults who have a genetic heart problem called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It works as a cardiac myosin inhibitor to relax the heart and get more blood pumped to the rest of the body. Camzyos (mavacamten) comes as a capsule that you take by mouth once a day. But it can have side effects like making you feel dizzy or faint. It also has a risk of causing heart failure. Because of this, you have to enroll in a special medication safety program called Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for Camzyos (mavacamten).
What is Camzyos (mavacamten)?
What is Camzyos (mavacamten) used for?
- To improve symptoms related to thickened heart muscles (obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)
How Camzyos (mavacamten) works
Camzyos (mavacamten) is a cardiac myosin inhibitor. It attaches to a protein in the heart called myosin. Myosin helps your heart squeeze (contract) to pump blood through the body.
The myosin in people with HCM is more active than it should be. It causes the heart to contract too much and makes it hard for the heart to relax. This makes the walls of the heart become thick and stiff. People with obstructive HCM have heart muscles that are so thick that blood can't flow through well.
As a cardiac myosin inhibitor, Camzyos (mavacamten) stops myosin from working as well. This helps your heart relax so more blood can get to the heart to be pumped through the body. This can help relieve symptoms like heart palpitations and shortness of breath.
Drug facts
More on Camzyos (mavacamten) essentials
Side effects of Camzyos (mavacamten)
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Dizziness (27%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Fainting
Camzyos (mavacamten) serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Heart failure: trouble breathing, cough, wheezing, swelling in legs and ankles, fast or irregular heartbeat, tiredness, can't do much physical activity without exerting yourself
The following Camzyos (mavacamten) side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- Heart failure—shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles, feet, or hands, sudden weight gain, unusual weakness or fatigue
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
- Dizziness
- Feeling faint or lightheaded
Pros and cons of Camzyos (mavacamten)
Pros
- Can help improve how well the heart pumps blood after several months of treatment
- Can help improve how well you can exert yourself during physical activity and other heart failure symptoms
- Taken once a day
- Can take with or without food
Cons
- Has a risk of causing heart failure
- Need to get your heart checked often during treatment
- Can interact with many medications, including fluoxetine (Prozac) and diltiazem (Cardizem)
- Not approved for children
Pharmacist tips for Camzyos (mavacamten)
- Take Camzyos (mavacamten) once a day with or without food.
- Swallow the Camzyos (mavacamten) capsule whole. Don't break it open or chew it.
- If you forget to take Camzyos (mavacamten), take it as soon as possible before the end of the day. If you realize you forgot the next day, skip the missed dose. This is because you shouldn't take more than one dose on the same day. Take your next dose at your usual time.
- Ask your prescriber how often to get your heart checked. As part of the Camzyos REMS program, your prescriber needs to check how well your heart is working often. This helps monitor for heart failure. If needed, your prescriber can lower your dose or stop treatment to keep you safe.
- Keep taking Camzyos (mavacamten) as prescribed, even if you don't feel a difference at first. Remember, it can take weeks before you notice benefits from the medication. Your prescriber will adjust your dose based on how well it's working for you. And it could take some time to reach this optimal dose.
- Camzyos (mavacamten) can make you dizzy. Sit down and rest until you feel better. It might be a good idea not to drive or do anything that could be dangerous until you know how the medication makes you feel. Tell your care team if you feel too dizzy and it's hard to go about your day.
- Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about the medications you take or plan to take. This includes prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Camzyos (mavacamten) interacts with a lot of medications. Some interactions can make Camzyos (mavacamten) work less well or raise your risk of heart failure. Give your care team an updated medication list. They can check for dangerous drug interactions and make changes to keep you safe if needed.
- If you can become pregnant, talk to your prescriber or gynecologist about birth control options. It's important to avoid getting pregnant because Camzyos (mavacamten) can cause serious harm to an unborn baby. Use birth control while taking this medication and for 4 months after your last dose. If you get pregnant, tell your healthcare team right away.
Common questions about Camzyos (mavacamten)
It can take weeks before Camzyos (mavacamten) lessens HCM symptoms. And, it could take a few months of treatment to get the full benefits. Make sure to take Camzyos (mavacamten) every day as prescribed so it can work as best as it can. Ask your prescriber if you have questions about how long it's taking to help with your HCM symptoms.
Camzyos (mavacamten) was approved by the FDA in April 2022. It was approved to help adults who have a genetic heart problem called obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This problem makes the heart muscle too thick. This medication helps improve exercise capacity and symptoms like shortness of breath.
For the Camzyos REMS program, you'll first need to review the Patient Brochure with your prescriber. They'll talk to you about the risk of heart failure with this medication and decide if it's right for you. Next, you'll need to get an echocardiogram to check your heart function. This will help your prescriber see if Camzyos (mavacamten) is safe for you. Once you've completed these steps, complete the enrollment form. Your care team can help you with this. Then, while you're taking Camzyos (mavacamten), you'll need to get echocardiograms at certain time points. This helps your prescriber continue to check how safe the medication is for you. They'll tell you when to get these echocardiograms. Talk to your care team to learn more about the Camzyos REMS program.
You'll need to get an echocardiogram (echo) before you start Camzyos (mavacamten). After you start, you'll need to get an echo at week 4, 8, and 12 of treatment. From that point, you'll need an echo every 3 to 6 months while taking Camzyos (mavacamten). You might need extra echos in certain situations. This includes after your dose changes or after you've taken a break from the medication. You also might need extra echos if you start any medications that interact with Camzyos (mavacamten). Getting echos is important so your prescriber can check your heart function. This is a way for them to monitor your risk of heart failure with the medication. Talk to your prescriber to learn more about your echo schedule.
It might be a good idea to avoid alcohol while taking Camzyos (mavacamten). Alcohol doesn't directly interact with how well Camzyos (mavacamten) works. But it can make one of the most common side effects of the medication worse — dizziness. What's more, drinking alcohol a lot can raise your risk of other heart problems. Talk to your prescriber to learn more about alcohol and Camzyos (mavacamten). If you have a hard time not drinking, your care team can guide you to resources to help.
Camzyos (mavacamten) interacts with many medications. Some medications can make it break down faster in your body. This means Camzyos (mavacamten) might not work as well for you. Examples are some seizure medications and St. John's wort. Other medications can make side effects from Camzyos (mavacamten) more likely. This includes a higher risk of heart failure. These medications include fluconazole (Diflucan), fluoxetine (Prozac), and omeprazole (Prilosec). Also avoid other medications that can raise the risk of heart failure, like verapamil and diltiazem (Cardizem). Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about all the medications you take or plan to take. They can check for drug interactions to help keep you safe.
In a study, people who took Camzyos (mavacamten) had more improvement in their HCM than those who took a placebo. Their heart pumped better. And they could do more physical activity before feeling short of breath. What's more, heart failure symptoms improved more with Camzyos (mavacamten) than with placebo. But the study only lasted about 7 months, so we don't know how well the medication works after that. Also, most people in the study were already taking other medications to help with HCM. Talk to your prescriber to learn more about how well Camzyos (mavacamten) might work for you.
You shouldn't take Camzyos (mavacamten) if you're pregnant. Animal studies show that the medication can cause serious harm to an unborn baby. Talk to your prescriber about the risks and about family planning before starting Camzyos (mavacamten). Let them know right away if you get pregnant while taking the medication.
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Risks and warnings for Camzyos (mavacamten)
Camzyos (mavacamten) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Risk of heart failure
- Risk factors: Heart rhythm problems | Serious infection | Taking other medications that can cause heart failure
Camzyos (mavacamten) helps your heart squeeze (contract) less. But as a consequence, it can put you at risk of heart failure or make it harder for your heart to pump blood.
Your risk of heart failure is higher if you have an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or a serious infection. You should avoid Camzyos (mavacamten) if you take other medications that raise your risk of heart failure.
To make sure it's as safe as possible for you, this medication is only available through the Camzyos REMS program. You, as well as your prescriber and pharmacy, will need to register in the program. Your prescriber will talk to you about the risk of heart failure. They'll discuss steps to take to minimize the risk. The Camzyos REMS program also requires regular echocardiograms (echos) to check your heart function.
To check how well your heart is pumping, you'll need to get echocardiograms before and during treatment. The test measures the strength of your heart (called ejection fraction). If your heart isn't pumping as well as it should, your prescriber will lower the dose or have you stop treatment.
Tell your care team right away if you have worsening signs of heart failure. Look out for chest pain, trouble breathing, tiredness, weakness, and swelling in the hands and feet.
Drug interactions
Camzyos (mavacamten) can interact with a lot of medications. These medications can include prescription medications for seizures and antifungals. They can also include over-the-counter medications like omeprazole (Prilosec) and supplements like St. John's wort.
Some drug interactions can make Camzyos (mavacamten) break down faster in the body. This can make the heart medication not work as well for you. Other drug interactions can raise your risk of side effects from Camzyos (mavacamten). This includes putting you at higher risk of heart failure.
It's important to tell your prescriber and pharmacist about all the medications you take. Don't start any new ones without talking to them first. Share an updated medication list with them. Your care team can check that all your medications are safe to take together. They can adjust your treatment plan if needed to keep you safe.
Harm to an unborn baby
Animal studies show that Camzyos (mavacamten) can cause serious harm to an unborn baby if taken during pregnancy.
If you can become pregnant, your prescriber might double check that you're not pregnant before starting Camzyos (mavacamten). Check with a pregnancy test if they ask you to.
While taking Camzyos (mavacamten), use reliable birth control if you're having sex. Keep using birth control for 4 months after you stop Camzyos (mavacamten). This medication can interact with some hormonal birth control pills. It can make the birth control not work as well to prevent pregnancy. So, talk to your prescriber or gynecologist about a good birth control option for you. Ask them if you need to use a nonhormonal option like condoms as backup.
If you get pregnant while taking Camzyos (mavacamten) or within 4 months of stopping it, tell your healthcare team right away.
Camzyos (mavacamten) dosage
Typical dosage for Camzyos (mavacamten)
The typical starting dose is 5 mg by mouth once a day.
Your prescriber will adjust the dose based on how well it's helping your symptoms. It also depends on your heart function and if you have side effects. Your prescriber will also adjust the dose if you also take other medications that interact with Camzyos (mavacamten).
The usual dosage is either 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg once a day.
Camzyos (mavacamten) contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Camzyos (mavacamten) will not be safe for you to take.
- Take certain medications that change the level of Camzyos (mavacamten) in the body. Examples include fluconazole (Diflucan), fluoxetine (Prozac), and carbamazepine (Tegretol).
