Generic drug: tafamidis meglumine and tafamidis
Brand name: Vyndaqel and Vyndamax
What is Vyndaqel and Vyndamax, and how does it work?
Vyndaqel and Vyndamax are prescription medicines used to treat adults with cardiomyopathy of wild-type or hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) to reduce death and hospitalization related to heart problems.
It is not known if Vyndaqel and Vyndamax are safe and effective in children.
Before taking Vyndaqel or Vyndamax, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have liver problems.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Vyndaqel and Vyndamax may harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with Vyndaqel or Vyndamax. You may also report your pregnancy by calling the Pfizer reporting line at 1-800-438-1985.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Vyndaqel or Vyndamax passes into your breast milk. You should not breastfeed during treatment with Vyndaqel or Vyndamax. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with Vyndaqel or Vyndamax.
What are the side effects of Vyndaqel and Vyndamax?
There were no known side effects that happened during treatment with Vyndaqel or Vyndamax in people with cardiomyopathy of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis.
You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the dosage for Vyndaqel and Vyndamax?
- The recommended dosage is either Vyndaqel 80 mg (four 20-mg tafamidis meglumine capsules) orally once daily or Vyndamax 61 mg (one 61-mg tafamidis capsule) orally once daily.
- Vyndamax and Vyndaqel are not substitutable on a per mg basis.
Administration Instructions
- The capsules should be swallowed whole and not crushed or cut.
- If a dose is missed, instruct patients to take the dose as soon as remembered or to skip the missed dose and take the next dose at the regularly scheduled time. Do not double the dose.
What drugs interact with Vyndaqel and Vyndamax?
BCRP Substrates
- Tafamidis inhibits breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP) in vitro and may increase exposure of substrates of this transporter (e.g., methotrexate, rosuvastatin, imatinib) following Vyndaqel 80 mg or Vyndamax 61 mg.
- Dose adjustment may be needed for these substrates.
Is Vyndaqel and Vyndamax safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding?
- Based on findings from animal studies, Vyndaqel and Vyndamax may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. However, limited available human data with Vyndaqel use in pregnant women (at a dose of 20 mg per day) have not identified any drug-associated risks for major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.
- There are no available data on the presence of tafamidis in human milk, the effect on the breastfed infant, or the effect on milk production.
- Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Vyndaqel or Vyndamax.

QUESTION
In the U.S., 1 in every 4 deaths is caused by heart disease. See AnswerSummary
Vyndaqel (tafamidis meglumine) and Vyndamax (tafamidis) are prescription medicines used to treat adults with cardiomyopathy of wild-type or hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) to reduce death and hospitalization related to heart problems. There were no known side effects that happened during treatment with Vyndaqel or Vyndamax in people with cardiomyopathy of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis.
Multimedia: Slideshows, Images & Quizzes
-
Heart Disease: Causes of a Heart Attack
Heart disease prevention includes controlling risk factors like diet, exercise, and stress. Heart disease symptoms in women may...
-
Heart Disease: Foods That Are Bad for Your Heart
If you want a healthy ticker, there are some foods you’ll want to indulge in every now and then only. Find out which ones and how...
-
Am I Having a Heart Attack? Symptoms of Heart Disease
Heart attacks symptoms vary greatly for men and women, from anxiety and fatigue to nausea and sweating. Learn the warning signs...
-
Heart Disease: Symptoms, Signs, and Causes
What is heart disease (coronary artery disease)? Learn about the causes of heart disease, arrhythmias and myopathy. Symptoms of...
-
Heart Disease: How to Help Prevent an AFib Attack
These simple things can make a flare-up of atrial fibrillation less likely.
-
Heart Disease: Pill-Free Ways to Cut Your Heart Disease Risk
You don't have to take medicine to lower your heart disease risk. Find out more about how diet, exercise, and other lifestyle...
-
Heart Disease: Alternative Treatments for AFib
Medication and surgery aren't the only things that can improve or prevent your AFib symptoms. Talk to your doctor about these...
-
Cardiac Arrest: What You Should Know
Cardiac arrest is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate medical care. Use this WebMD slideshow to know whether you...
-
Heart Disease: Best and Worst Foods for Heart Failure
Learn which dietary changes help your heart, and which ones make it work harder.
-
Heart Disease Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
Take our Heart Disease Quiz to get answers and facts about high cholesterol, atherosclerosis prevention, and the causes,...
-
Heart Disease: Understand Your Blood and Urine Test Results
Your blood and urine can reveal a lot about your health. Here's how to understand your lab test results.
Related Disease Conditions
-
Heart Attack Symptoms and Early Warning Signs
Recognizing heart attack symptoms and signs can help save your life or that of someone you love. Some heart attack symptoms, including left arm pain and chest pain, are well known but other, more nonspecific symptoms may be associated with a heart attack. Nausea, vomiting, malaise, indigestion, sweating, shortness of breath, and fatigue may signal a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms and signs in women may differ from those in men.
-
Can a Chest Muscle Strain Feel Like a Heart Attack?
Chest muscle strains can cause sudden, acute pain that feels like a heart attack. Learn the signs of a chest muscle strain, what causes it, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it. A panic attack is an intense wave of fear accompanied by symptoms like sweating, shaking, dizziness and others. A heart attack is a blockage in blood flow to the heart. The symptoms of a heart attack and panic attack are similar, but they have different outcomes.
-
Heart Disease: Sudden Cardiac Death
Second Source WebMD Medical Reference
-
Heart Disease
Heart disease (coronary artery disease) occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart. Heart disease can lead to heart attack. Risk factors for heart disease include: Smoking High blood pressure High cholesterol Diabetes Family history Obesity Angina, shortness of breath, and sweating are just a few symptoms that may indicate a heart attack. Treatment of heart disease involves control of heart disease risk factors through lifestyle changes, medications, and/or stenting or bypass surgery. Heart disease can be prevented by controlling heart disease risk factors.
-
Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
A heart attack occurs when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. Learn about warning signs, causes, complications, risk factors, and treatment.
-
Amyloidosis
Amyloidosis is a group of diseases resulting from abnormal deposition of certain proteins (amyloids) in various bodily areas. The amyloid proteins may either be deposited in one particular area of the body (localized amyloidosis) or they may be deposited throughout the body (systemic amyloidosis). There are three types of systemic amyloidosis: primary (AL), secondary (AA), and familial (ATTR). Primary amyloidosis is not associated with any other diseases and is considered a disease entity of its own. Secondary amyloidosis occurs as a result of another illness. Familial Mediterranean Fever is a form of familial (inherited) amyloidosis. Amyloidosis treatment involves treating the underlying illness and correcting organ failure.
-
Heart Attack vs. Stroke Symptoms, Differences, and Similarities
Heart attack usually is caused by a clot that stops blood flow supplying oxygen to an area of heart muscle, which results in heart muscle death. Stroke or "brain attack" is caused by a loss of blood supply to the brain (usually a blood clot) or by hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding within the brain), which results in brain tissue death. Both heart attack and stroke usually come on suddenly, produce similar symptoms, can be disabling, and can be fatal. The classic symptoms and warning signs of heart attack are different. Classic heart attack warning signs are chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, pain that radiates to the shoulders, back, arms, belly, jaw, or teeth, sweating, fainting, and nausea and vomiting. Moreover, woman having a heart attack may have additional symptoms like abdominal pain or discomfort, dizziness, clammy skin, and moderate to severe fatigue. The classic symptoms and warning signs that a person is having a stroke are confusion or loss of consciousness, sudden severe headache, speech problems, problems seeing out of one or both eyes, and numbness or weakness of only one side of the body. Moreover, a woman having a stroke may have additional warning symptom and signs like shortness of breath, disorientation, agitation, behavioral changes, weakness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, and hiccups. Recognition of stroke symptoms is vital for emergency treatment. The acronym "FAST" stands for recognition of Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and a Time for action. If you experience the symptoms heart attack or stroke (FAST) or see them develop in another person, then contact 911 immediately.
-
Heart Attack vs. Heartburn
Heartburn is a symptom of another disease or medical problem and can be described as a feeling of burning in the chest accompanied by symptoms of nausea, vomiting, or a sour taste or food stuck in the back of the throat. Heart attack occurs when an artery in the heart is completely blocked by a blood clot, which causes that portion of heart muscle to die. Heart attack also has symptoms of chest pain, nausea, and vomiting, however, other warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack are unusual weakness or fatigue, and persistent and/or increased severity of symptoms over a few minutes. Heart attack is a life threatening emergency. If you think you or someone you are with is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately for urgent medical treatment. It may save your life.
-
What Are the Four Signs of an Impending Heart Attack?
A heart attack occurs when the blood vessel that supplies blood to your heart (coronary artery) gets blocked – partially or completely. The lack of blood supply means the heart does not get enough oxygen or nutrients.
-
Stress and Heart Disease
Stress itself may be a risk factor for heart disease, or high levels of stress may make risk factors for heart disease worse. The warning signs of stress can be physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral. Check out the center below for more medical references on stress and heart disease, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
-
Heart Attack Treatment
A heart attack involves damage or death of part of the heart muscle due to a blood clot. The aim of heart attack treatment is to prevent or stop this damage to the heart muscle. Heart attack treatments included medications, procedures, and surgeries to protect the heart muscle against injury.
-
How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Heart Attack?
While it takes most people about 6-8 months to recover after a heart attack, overall recovery time depends on your general health, how severe the attack was, the type of treatment you received and when you received it.
-
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscles to progressively enlarge and weaken, reducing the ability of the heart to pump enough blood. Check out the center below for more medical references on heart disease, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
-
Heart Disease in Women
Heart disease in women has somewhat different symptoms, risk factors, and treatment compared to heart disease in men. Many women and health professionals are not aware of the risk factors for heart disease in women and may delay diagnosis and treatment. Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, tobacco use, overweight/obesity, stress, alcohol consumption, and depression influence heart disease risk in women. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes also increase women's risk of heart disease. Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG), stress-ECG, endothelial testing, ankle-brachial index (ABI), echocardiogram, nuclear imaging, electron beam CT, and lab tests to assess blood lipids and biomarkers of inflammation are used to diagnose heart disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women saves lives. Heart disease can be prevented and reversed with lifestyle changes.
-
What Are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack in Women?
Many women think that the typical signs of a heart attack like crushing chest pain and shortness of breath can be easily recognized and cannot be missed. The 4 silent signs of a heart attack are fatigue, chest pain, pain in the upper back, shoulder, arms, neck or jaw, and sleep disturbances.
-
Heart Attack Pathology: Photo Essay
A heart attack is a layperson's term for a sudden blockage of a coronary artery. This photo essay includes graphics, pictures, and illustrations of diseased heart tissue and the mechanisms that lead to coronary artery disease, and possible heart attack. A coronary artery occlusion may be fatal, but most patients survive it. Death can occur when the occlusion leads to an abnormal heartbeat (severe arrhythmia) or death of heart muscle (extensive myocardial infarction).
-
At What Age Does Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Develop?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM is a medical condition that causes thickening of the heart muscles (the myocardium). It is a serious disorder that adversely affects the pumping of the heart and makes it prone to an abnormal rhythm. HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in individuals aged less than 30 years.
-
What Is a Widowmaker Heart Attack?
A Widowmaker is a type of heart attack, which is deadlier than most others. A widowmaker heart attack occurs when the left ascending artery (LAD) that supplies blood to the front part of the heart (largest part) is clogged-up because of clots in the arterial wall. This causes the death of heart muscle in this area, medically termed myocardial infarction. Because the widowmaker damages a major portion of the heart, timely management is necessary to prevent fatalities.
-
Heart Attack Prevention
Heart disease and heart attacks can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and stress management. Symptoms of heart attack in men and women include chest discomfort and pain in the shoulder, neck, jaw, stomach, or back.
-
Smoking and Heart Disease
Smoking increases the risk of heart disease in women and men. Nicotine in cigarettes decrease oxygen to the heart, increases blood pressure, blood clots, and damages coronary arteries. Learn how to quit smoking today, to prolong your life.
-
Cardiomyopathy (Restrictive)
Restrictive cardiomyopathy, the rarest form of cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the walls of the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles) are abnormally rigid and lack the flexibility to expand as the ventricles fill with blood. The pumping or systolic function of the ventricle may be normal but the diastolic function (the ability of the heart to fill with blood) is abnormal. Therefore, it is harder for the ventricles to fill with blood, and with time, the heart loses the ability to pump blood properly, leading to heart failure.
-
Heart Disease Treatment in Women
Heart disease treatment in women should take into account female-specific guidelines that were developed by the American Heart Association. Risk factors and symptoms of heart disease in women differ from those in men. Treatment may include lifestyle modification (diet, exercise, weight management, smoking cessation, stress reduction), medications, percutaneous intervention procedure (PCI), and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Heart disease is reversible with treatment.
-
Vitamins & Exercise: Heart Attack Prevention Series
Vitamins and exercise can lower your risk for heart attack and heart disease. Folic acid, vitamins, and homocysteine levels are interconnected and affect your risk for heart disease or heart attack. For better heart health, avoid the following fried foods, hard margarine, commercial baked goods, most packaged and processed snack foods, high fat dairy, and processed meats such as bacon, sausage, and deli meats.
-
Heart Attack Prevention Overview
Heart attacks are the major causes of unexpected, sudden death among men and women. A heart attack also is a significant cause of heart failure. The process of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) begins early in life. Heart attack prevention should begin in childhood because the atherosclerosis process can not be reversed. The risk of having a heart attack increases if you have diseases or conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and other heart conditions.
Treatment & Diagnosis
- Heart Disease FAQs
- Heart Attack: A Tale of Two Heart Attacks
- Beta Carotene Supplements Not the Answer for Cancer or Heart Disease
- Heart Disease Risks Reduced With Running
- Heart Attack - New Blood Test For Earlier Accurate Diagnosis
- Cancer,Stroke & Heart Attack Risks- ReducedThrough Walking
- Heart Health- Little Aspirin A Day Stops Big Heart Attack!
- Heart Risks - Reduced By Walking & Vigorous Exercise
- Heart Disease In Women
- Ramipril, Heart Disease, Stroke & Diabetes
- Heart Disease & Stroke - Progress
- Heartburn or Heart Attack? Emergency In Flight
- Proven measures to prevent heart attacks and strokes?
- Any promising measures that may prevent heart attacks?
- Heart Disease Stroke and Diabetes
- Exercise Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes - Part 1
- FLAP Doubles Risk of Heart Attack
- The Cox-2 Inhibitors Controversy: Q&A with Dr. Shiel
- Heart Disease: Antioxidant Supplements and Women
- Heart Disease Risk and C-reactive Protein (CRP)
- Hormone Therapy and and Heart Disease in Women
- Heart Attack Prevention From a Doctor's Perspective
- Heart Disease - Lessons Learned From Pitcher's Early Death
- Heart Attack Risk and Medicated Stents
- What Should Cholesterol Levels Be After Heart Attack?
- What are The Complications of Rheumatic Heart Disease?
- Do Women Have Different Heart Attack Symptoms?
- Can I Still Get Heart Disease if I Take Blood Pressure Medication?
- Will My Diet Slip Increase the Risk of Heart Attack?
- Can Asthma Cause a Heart Attack?
- Does Hashimoto's Affect Heart Disease and Osteoporosis?
- Heart Disease Prevention in Women
- Heart Healthy Diet: Hypertension & Heart Disease

Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.