Amyloidosis – Treatment options
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Treatments for amyloidosis can help:
- Lower the number of proteins in your body that can make amyloids. Treatment may:
- Turn off the abnormal gene that causes misfolded proteins to form
- Keep new amyloids from building up
- Manage your symptoms. Symptoms vary depending on where in your body amyloids build up
- Treat the disease that may cause amyloidosis
Several medications can help treat amyloidosis. Your treatment will depend on the type of amyloidosis you have. For example, vutrisiran (Amvuttra), inotersen (Tegsedi) and patisiran (Onpattro) are approved to help treat the nerve pain and other symptoms that can happen with hereditary transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis. Vutrisiran is given every three months. Inotersen is given once a week. Both are given as an injection under the skin. Patisiran is given every three weeks as an infusion into your vein.
Two medications are approved help treat the wild-type ATTR amyloidosis with amyloids in the heart. They are tafamidis (Vyndamax) and tafamidis meglumine (Vyndaqel). These medications are pills you take every day.
Biologics are often prescribed to treat the underlying diseases that may cause amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis. One example is tocilizumab (Actemra). It’s often used to treat conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Tocilizumab is often given once every one to two weeks as an injection under the skin.
Certain cancer medications may be used for people with amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. In some cases, high dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant (SCT) may be suggested. An SCT replaces the cells that have the abnormal genes with cells that have normal genes. This may cure the amyloidosis.
Kidney, liver, and heart transplantation may be an option in certain cases. Depending on the type of amyloidosis you have, there’s a chance that the disease will come back after transplant. But, treating early with newer therapies may help slow down the progression.
Here are some resources to help you manage your day to day.
- Amyloidosis Foundation. https://amyloidosis.org
- Amyloidosis support groups: https://www.amyloidosissupport.org
- Amyloidosis Research Consortium: https://arci.org
- Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov
- My Amyloidosis Team. https://www.myamyloidosisteam.com
- The Bridge: https://www.hattrbridge.com
The more you know about your amyloidosis, the easier it is to play an active role in your treatment. This is an important part of successfully treating and managing your condition. Your CVS Specialty CareTeam is available to answer your questions and help with side effects. They can also provide you with the information you need to effectively manage your condition. If you have questions or want to learn more, talk to your doctor or your CareTeam at 1-800-237-2767, M-F 8:00 am – 8:00 pm ET.
This information is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Talk to your doctor or health care provider about your medical condition and prior to starting any new treatment. CVS Specialty assumes no liability whatsoever for the information provided or for any diagnosis or treatment made as a result.