Around 6,600 people in England are set to benefit from access to aficamten after the medicine was authorized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence at the same time. The coordinated outcome is being presented as a significant step for patients with a serious heart condition who may now be eligible for the new daily pill.
Aficamten, also known as MYQORZO, has moved forward through both the safety and licensing process and the NHS value assessment in parallel. That means patients could see faster access than under a more traditional sequence, where approval by the regulator and guidance from NICE happen separately.
The government said the joint timing reflects closer working between the MHRA and NICE. Officials described the change as part of a broader effort to improve how promising medicines reach patients, reducing delays between a drug being cleared for use and being made available through the health system.
For people living with this serious heart condition, the decision could widen treatment options and offer a new once-daily medicine in England. The announcement also highlights how coordinated action between regulators and health technology assessors can speed up access to new therapies without changing their separate roles in judging safety, effectiveness and value.
