Ruijin Hospital Leads With First Aficamten Prescription

Doctors at Ruijin Hospital have issued the city's first prescription of aficamten, an innovative medicine for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a silent killer among heart diseases.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of cardiac arrest among children, adolescents, and young athletes.

Aficamten is a second-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor, which was approved for marketing by China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in December. China approved the drug ahead of the United States, the European Union, and other regions.

"Medication and surgery are the main treatments for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, surgery carries high risks and stringent requirements for surgeons: only highly skilled, experienced doctors at specialized hospitals can perform such operations. Traditional medications can relieve some symptoms but cannot achieve full intervention," explained Dr Jin Wei of Ruijin Hospital, who prescribed the drug for the first time in the city.

"Our current therapeutic goal is no longer merely to relieve symptoms but to deliver comprehensive treatment. This innovative drug aficamten can bring substantial improvements to this condition," she noted.

The clinical management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy emphasizes precise treatment and whole-process care, which is of enormous significance for improving the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases.

"Early screening and early intervention are the key to managing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We should strengthen training for primary care doctors to enhance their ability to identify the disease and encourage timely referrals to higher-level hospitals for professional diagnosis and treatment.

"We also need to establish a good disease management network to improve efficiency and quality of health care and better patients' life quality," Jin added.