MARKETVUE® REPORT: Surgery remains the only option for the ~50% of LQTS patients refractory or intolerant to beta blockers

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Nov 07, 2023, 11:37 ET

LQTS types 2 and 3 have the highest need for novel pharmacologic treatments of all subtypes, according to findings from REACH Market Research.

NEWTON, Mass., Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a rare congenital cardiac arrhythmia characterized by a prolonged recovery in cardiac action potential that can cause deadly arrhythmias.

According to LQTS experts interviewed by REACH, most cases of LQTS, especially LQTS type 1, are well-controlled by the current standard of care—beta blockers—despite less the less-than-ideal side effects they cause (e.g., fatigue, depression, decreased libido). However, for high-risk patients that experience breakthrough events despite maximal tolerated beta blocker treatment, physicians turn to surgical options that include implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) or left cardiac sympathetic denervation (LCSD). While surgical options are largely effective at controlling symptoms (LCSD) or reliably correcting potentially fatal arrhythmias (ICD), these approaches are used as a last resort and come with notable limitations such as:

ICDs, especially when implanted in children, have a high risk of malfunction and require continued maintenance surgeries like battery replacement
LCSD recovery can be very painful and there is a shortage of surgeons trained to perform LCSD

Consequently, there is a need for additional pharmaceutical treatments to reduce the reliance upon surgical options for refractory patients. Additionally, while a large majority of patients are well-managed by beta blockers, up to half of these patients struggle with the side effects and could benefit from a better-tolerated treatment option. Unfortunately for LQTS patients, the clinical pipeline is sparse, with only one industry-sponsored drug in development therefore it will likely be 5 or more years before any new treatments become available.

Cardiac Electrophysiologist, U.S.: "I have a bunch of ICD patients who have abandoned leads or who have had multiple lead extraction procedures that are high risk, there's been a perforation, and they had to have a sternotomy and have gone really, really bad. A lot of those are my patients with long QT syndrome who have had an ICD since childhood."

To access REACH's MarketVue^® Report on LQTS, visit https://reachmr.com or contact us at [email protected].

About MarketVue^®

MarketVue^® reports are a rare disease focused, fresh alternative to traditionally long and outdated market research reports. MarketVue^® reports cover rare disease epidemiology and key market dynamics based on research from key opinion leader interviews, physician surveys, and secondary data.

About REACH Market Research

REACH is an independent pharmaceutical market research company focused on rare and niche diseases. With decades of experience in pharmaceutical market research and life sciences consulting, REACH fills an important gap in the market – accessible market research solutions for rare and niche diseases.

SOURCE REACH Market Research