– New national campaign encourages recognition of ATTR-CM, often mistaken for other heart conditions, where earlier diagnosis and treatment may help improve outcomes
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PALO ALTO, Calif., April 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (the “Company,” “we” or “BridgeBio”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing medicines for genetic conditions, has teamed up with award-winning actor Morgan Freeman and Howard “H” White, a longtime basketball apparel marketing executive, cultural connector, and heart health advocate, to bring greater attention to ATTR-CM, a progressive heart disease that can be underrecognized and often mistaken for other forms of heart failure.1,2Don’t Pass On Your Heart Health encourages people to take persistent symptoms seriously, recognizing that earlier action can help support better long-term outcomes. Although ATTR-CM has historically been diagnosed more often in men, research suggests the need for broader awareness across men and women over 55.3
“In clinical practice, ATTR-CM is often hiding in plain sight. Many people come in with symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, carpal tunnel, nerve pain, or leg swelling that are commonly attributed to other forms of heart failure or aging,” said Albert J. Hicks, III, M.D., MPH, Section Chief of Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplant at University of Maryland Medical Center. “What’s critical is recognizing when those symptoms may point to an underlying condition that requires further evaluation. Increasing awareness among both clinicians and patients can help prompt earlier recognition, which is an important step toward improving long-term outcomes.”
“We continue to see a disproportionate impact of ATTR-CM in Black communities, where people may face delays in diagnosis and access to care,” said Richard Allen Williams, M.D., FACC, Founder and past President of the Association of Black Cardiologists. “Improving awareness is critical, but so is ensuring people feel empowered to speak up, ask questions, and advocate for themselves when something doesn’t feel right.”
Howard “H” White is known for shaping athlete-driven movements in global sports culture. Over a four-decade marketing career, he is an author, philanthropist and is widely recognized for building connections between sports, community, and culture, including founding youth-focused initiatives that empower the next generation. Howard experienced symptoms not typically associated with heart failure or heart disease, including carpal tunnel syndrome and an enlarged heart. As his condition progressed, he developed shortness of breath, leg swelling, and fatigue, and by the time he recognized the seriousness of his symptoms, his disease had significantly advanced. He is now committed to ensuring others do not go through the same experience, encouraging anyone experiencing these symptoms to speak with their doctor early so it does not progress to that point. His commitment to advancing awareness and care also includes founding the Howard “H” White Center for Cardiac Amyloidosis at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, which focuses on improving diagnosis, treatment, and education around amyloid heart disease.
“For years, people have been living with cardiac amyloidosis without knowing it,” said Howard “H” White. “I didn’t recognize it until simple things – like walking up the stairs – left me out of breath. I had been told my enlarged heart was from sports. The truth was, amyloid was making my heart bigger and weaker. By the time I found out, my condition had already progressed significantly. Today, earlier detection is possible. My message is simple: know the signs, ask questions, and see your doctor so you don’t have to follow my path.”
Transthyretin (TTR) is a protein that circulates in the blood, where it transports thyroxine and vitamin A and supports critical functions, including cognition, cardiovascular health, muscle integrity, metabolism, vision, and bone strength. ATTR-CM occurs when misfolded TTR protein, also known as amyloid, builds up in the heart over time. As deposits accumulate, the heart can become thicker and stiffer, making it harder to pump blood effectively. Because symptoms may resemble those of more common forms of heart failure, or be dismissed as “normal aging,” ATTR-CM is frequently overlooked or identified later in the disease journey.3 ATTR-CM includes both wild-type disease associated with aging and hereditary (variant) forms caused by genetic changes in the transthyretin (TTR) gene.1 Certain variants are more commonly carried by people of African ancestry, and approximately 1 in 25 Black/African American individuals in the United States carry the V142I (also known as V122I) variant associated with ATTR-CM.2 As a result, Black men and women over 55 may face elevated risk and delayed diagnosis, with research showing that people with this variant can experience more severe disease and poorer outcomes, including worse survival and higher rates of heart failure.2,4,5
Recent clinical findings highlight why recognizing ATTR-CM earlier can make a meaningful difference. In the Phase 3 ATTRibute-CM study evaluating Attruby®, the treatment showed consistent benefit in people with both wild-type and hereditary forms of the disease.6,7 Changes linked to stabilizing the TTR protein were seen as early as four weeks after starting treatment and were sustained over time.8 Over the course of the study, Attruby helped adults with ATTR-CM live longer and have fewer hospitalizations due to heart issues. 9 At 30 months, treatment was associated with a 50% reduction in the cumulative frequency of cardiovascular-related hospitalizations compared to placebo, and people taking Attruby also reported a better health-related quality of life compared to those not taking Attruby.6,7,10 The majority of side effects, like diarrhea and abdominal pain, were mild and went away on its own, allowing people to stay on Attruby.9
“ATTR-CM is a condition where earlier awareness can make a meaningful difference, yet many people are still diagnosed only after symptoms have progressed,” said Jonathan Fox, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at BridgeBio Cardiovascular. “This is particularly important for individuals carrying genetic variants, such as p.Val142Ile (also known as V122I), who often experience delays in diagnosis and limited awareness, which can contribute to poorer outcomes over time. Improving recognition of the disease, especially at a stage when intervention may help stabilize disease progression, is an important step toward better long-term outcomes.”
To support people in taking the next step for their heart health, BridgeBio has launched a new educational hub on Attruby.com offering clear information about ATTR-CM including Howard “H” White’s testimonial video, practical resources, and a downloadable Doctor Discussion Guide to help individuals and families recognize potential warning signs and prepare for informed conversations with healthcare providers. BridgeBio continues research to better understand outcomes in both wild-type and variant ATTR-CM, helping to advance knowledge of how the disease affects different populations.
To hear more from Howard “H” White on the importance of recognizing ATTR-CM earlier, visit: attruby.com/howard-h-white
About Attruby® (acoramidis)
INDICATION
Attruby is a transthyretin stabilizer indicated for the treatment of the cardiomyopathy of wild-type or variant transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) in adults to reduce cardiovascular death and cardiovascular-related hospitalization.7
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Adverse Reactions
Diarrhea (11.6% vs 7.6%) and upper abdominal pain (5.5% vs 1.4%) were reported in patients treated with Attruby versus placebo, respectively. The majority of these adverse reactions were mild and resolved without drug discontinuation. Discontinuation rates due to adverse events were similar between patients treated with Attruby versus placebo (9.3% and 8.5%, respectively).7
About BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.
BridgeBio exists to develop transformative medicines for genetic conditions. Millions of people worldwide living with genetic conditions lack treatment options, often because drug development for small patient populations can be commercially challenging. We aim to bridge the gap between advancements in genetic science and meaningful medicines for underserved patient populations. Our decentralized, hub-and-spoke model is designed for speed, precision, and scalability. Autonomous and empowered teams focus on individual conditions, while a central hub provides the clinical, regulatory, and commercial capabilities needed to bring innovation to market. For more information, visit bridgebio.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram,YouTube, and TikTok.
BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release may include statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues,” “estimates,” “expects,” “hopes,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “remains,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. BridgeBio intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the potential benefits of earlier awareness, recognition, diagnosis and treatment of ATTR-CM, the potential ability of intervention to help stabilize disease progression or improve long-term outcomes, and the Company’s ongoing and future research regarding outcomes in wild-type and variant ATTR-CM. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions, expectations and strategies as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to those risks set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, the Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment in which new risks emerge from time to time. These forward-looking statements are based upon the current expectations and beliefs of the Company’s management as of the date of this press release, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, BridgeBio assumes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
BridgeBio Contact:
Bubba Murarka, Executive Vice President
[email protected]
(650)789-8220
References:
- Attruby.com, “What Is ATTR-CM?” Disease overview and symptom information. Accessed January 27, 2026.
- Attruby.com, “Signs & Symptoms” section. Accessed January 27, 2026.
- Buxbaum JN, Ruberg FL, Tripp KP, et al. The amyloidogenic V122I transthyretin variant in elderly Black Americans. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(23):2135–2142. Accessed January 27, 2026.
- Khedraki R, et al. Race, genotype, and prognosis in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. Am J Cardiol. 2024;216:97–104. doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2024.02.019. Accessed March 24, 2026.
- Damrauer SM, Chaudhary K, Cho JH, et al. Association of the TTR V122I Variant With Heart Failure Among Individuals of African or Hispanic/Latino Ancestry. JAMA. 2019;322(22):2191–2202. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.17935. Accessed March 24, 2026
- Gillmore JD, Judge DP, Cappelli F, et al. Efficacy and safety of acoramidis in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(2):132-142.doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2305434.
- Attruby® (acoramidis) Prescribing Information. BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. Accessed January 27, 2026.
- Maurer M, Sarswat N, Grogan M, et al. Acoramidis improves serum TTR levels in patients with wild-type or variant transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy–results from ATTRibute-CM. Poster presented at: Annual Congress of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology; May 17-20, 2025; Belgrade, Serbia. Accessed March 24, 2026.
- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (2024). Acoramidis Significantly Reduces All-cause Mortality in the Overall ATTR-CM Variant and V142I (V122I) Populations press release. Accessed February 3, 2026.
- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (2025). Acoramidis Demonstrates Statistically Significant Reduction in Cardiovascular Mortality (CVM) Through Month 42 of the ATTRibute-CM Open-Label Extension. August 30, 2025. Available at: investor.bridgebio.com. Accessed March 30, 2026.
