Milestone Pharmaceuticals Partners with Arrhythmia Alliance on SVT Awareness

SVT Awareness Day to be held on Wednesday June 5, 2024

MONTREAL and CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: MIST), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative cardiovascular medicines, today announced it will partner with Arrhythmia Alliance to raise awareness of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). 

SVT Awareness Day will be held on Wednesday June 5, 2024, during World Heart Rhythm Week (June 4-10), to raise awareness of SVT, a type of arrhythmia or rapid heart rhythm that leaves people with palpitations (“racing heart rate”), breathlessness, and anxiety. SVT can cause the heart to beat much faster than normal, up to as high as 250 beats per minute (a normal heart rate for the average adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute).

“We are honored to partner with the Arrhythmia Alliance on educational initiatives for SVT Awareness Day. These efforts align perfectly with our mission to develop and commercialize innovative cardiovascular solutions that can improve the lives of people living with complex and life-altering heart conditions,” said Joseph Oliveto, President and Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Pharmaceuticals. “We are immensely thankful for the work of the Arrhythmia Alliance in filling the gap in SVT education in support of patients.”

To address some of the challenges facing people who are affected by SVT, Arrhythmia Alliance and its partners have developed certain resources for patients with SVT; these resources include virtual coffee mornings for people living with SVT, Live X Chat, and Facebook Live, all aimed at raising awareness of the condition and helping people seek medical advice and treatments. Additionally, there will be a release of educational videos from patients and healthcare providers to accompany the above resources.

Activities will include:

• Live X Chat on Tuesday, June 4 at 11 am EDT
• Facebook Live Chat with Dr. James Ip, Professor of Cardiology and practicing electrophysiologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center, on Thursday, June 6 at 11 am EDT
• SVT Coffee Morning Chat on Wednesday, June 5 at 11 am EDT and Friday, June 7 at 11 am BST
  

An estimated two million people in the United States are currently diagnosed with SVT, also referred to as PSVT or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. SVT is characterized by episodes of sudden onset rapid heartbeats often exceeding 150 to 200 beats per minute. The heart rate spike is unpredictable and may last several hours. The rapid heart rate often causes disabling severe palpitations, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, dizziness or lightheadedness, and distress, often forcing patients to limit their daily activities. The uncertainty of when an episode of SVT will occur or how long it will persist can provoke anxiety in patients and negatively impact their day-to-day life between episodes. The impact and morbidity from an attack can be especially detrimental in patients with underlying cardiovascular or medical conditions, such as heart failure, obstructive coronary disease, or dehydration. Many health care providers are dissatisfied with the current lack of effective treatment options with patients often requiring prolonged, burdensome, and costly trips to the emergency department or even invasive cardiac ablation procedures.