Based on an interim futility analysis of its global Phase III trial, REALM-DCM, Pfizer has ceased clinical trial development of its therapy emprumapimod. The drug was meant to target dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)* patients whose condition was due to a lamin gene mutation**. According to GlobalData’s report, ‘Cardiomyopathies – Global Drug Forecast and Market Analysis to 2031’, emprumapimod was not expected to significantly contribute to cardiomyopathy drug sales over the ten-year forecast period.

Sarah Bundra, Pharmaceutical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The number of patients who have developed DCM as a result of the mutation of the lamin gene is comparatively small, and as such, emprumapimod was not expected to capture a significant portion of patient shares.”

Instead, Camzyos (by Bristol Myers Squibb), recently marketed in the US, and aficamten (Cytokinetics), a late-stage pipeline candidate, are two myosin inhibitors that target obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Obstructive and non-obstructive HCM are characterized by whether blood flow out of the heart is blocked. These two drugs are expected to capture a significant patient share percentage.

According to GlobalData, these two drugs will expand cardiomyopathy drug sales globally, contributing to market growth from $1.6 billion to $5.2 billion across the 7 Major Markets (7MM)***. Additionally, Camzyos and aficamten will provide therapy options for a disease that has not previously been the target of clinical trial development.

Bundra continues: “Camzyos and aficamten are bringing therapeutics to a previously neglected patient population. As myosin inhibitors, these therapies are also novel in their mechanism of action, indicating that they should be the main drivers of growth for the cardiomyopathies market over the forecast period.”

Without the launch of emprumapimod, there are no late-stage candidates targeting gene-specific mutations or DCM. This leaves an unmet need that pharmaceutical companies should aim to fill.

*Cardiomyopathy is a term referring to a heterogenous collection of diseases that are characterized by impaired heart muscle. Subtypes include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) and restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). DCM occurs when the left ventricle is enlarged and therefore cannot effectively pump blood out of the heart, whereas HCM is characterized by thickened heart muscle.

**The lamin gene is a gene that provides instructions for making proteins called lamins.

***GlobalData’s drug forecast and market analysis covers the 7MM comprised of the US, 5EU (France, Italy, Germany, Spain, UK), and Japan, as well as 10 drug classes, 11 companies, and discusses 65 pipeline candidates from pre-clinical to Phase III