- October 6 YouTube premiere featuring Sway Calloway, Howard “H” White and leading medical and cultural voices anchors community education nationwide
PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) (the “Company” or “BridgeBio”), a commercial-stage, multi-product biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases, today announced a nationwide education effort with community partners to increase awareness of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, also called ATTR cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM). ATTR-CM is an underrecognized cause of heart failure that occurs when TTR, a protein that plays an essential role in the transport of vitamin A and thyroxine, becomes unstable, breaks down and builds up in the heart, causing it to become thicker and stiffer and making it harder to pump blood effectively. Because symptoms may resemble more common heart conditions or be dismissed as normal aging, ATTR-CM can be overlooked or identified later in the disease journey.
The effort will begin with an October 6 YouTube premiere and continue through community conversations and educational programming leading up to World Amyloidosis Day on October 26.
The premiere features a candid conversation on Black men’s heart health and ATTR-CM moderated by veteran broadcaster, Sway Calloway. The panel includes sports executive, author, philanthropist and ATTR-CM advocate, Howard “H” White; Albert J. Hicks III, M.D., MPH, Director of Cardiopulmonary Care and Heart/Lung Transplant at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma; and Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) Founding Artist and Founder, Doug E. Fresh and HHPH Founder and Board Chair, Olajide Williams, M.D., M.S., who serve as Community and Health Education Partners for the initiative. The program will premiere October 6 at 6:00 pm EDT at HowardWhiteStory.com/premiere.
The nationwide effort is supported by community partners including the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, Inc. and the National Medical Association (NMA). Partners will host or support viewings and related educational programming at 40 locations nationwide, including Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, and Washington D.C.
“ATTR-CM deserves greater attention as part of the cardiovascular health conversation, particularly for Black Americans who may be at increased risk. We’re proud to support BridgeBio in helping patients, families and healthcare professionals recognize when there may be more to a heart failure diagnosis,” said Kevin Kwaku, M.D., Ph.D., President of the Association of Black Cardiologists.
“Approximately 1 in 25 Black Americans carries a genetic variant associated with ATTR-CM, and too often the diagnosis comes only after the heart has already been significantly affected,” said Uma Sinha, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at BridgeBio. “Our understanding of this progressive disease has moved faster than awareness of it. Shortness of breath, fatigue, and carpal tunnel in both wrists can be written off as aging or as a more common form of heart failure, and years can pass before anyone names the real cause. Putting clinicians, cultural leaders and Howard ‘H’ White’s lived experience in the same room, alongside partners rooted in these communities, is how we close this gap.”
At the center of the conversation is White, who is living with ATTR-CM and founded the Howard H. White Center for Cardiac Amyloidosis. Drawing on his own journey from symptoms to diagnosis, he has become a prominent voice for recognizing changes in one’s health, speaking up and advocating for answers.
As the Community and Health Education Partners, Dr. Williams and Doug E. Fresh reinforced the importance of moving health conversations from awareness to action, particularly through trusted voices, culture and community.
“At Hip Hop Public Health, we know that people are more likely to engage with health information when it is relevant to their lives and delivered through voices and cultural touchpoints they trust. Our goal is to make these conversations accessible and actionable, so people feel empowered to recognize changes in their health, ask questions and advocate for themselves and their families,” said Dr. Williams.
ATTR-CM exists in two forms: wild-type disease associated with aging and hereditary, or variant, disease passed through families. Certain variants are more commonly carried by people of African ancestry. Approximately 1 in 25 Black Americans in the United States carries the V142I, also known as V122I, variant associated with ATTR-CM, although not everyone who carries the variant will develop the disease.1–3
“ATTR-CM can hide in plain sight because its symptoms often mirror heart failure we see every day. For Black patients, particularly those with ancestry-linked risk, knowing when to look beyond the familiar diagnosis can change the course of the disease,” said Dr. Hicks.
The discussion also examines broader cardiovascular disparities affecting Black Americans and why greater awareness, earlier recognition and conversations with healthcare providers matter.
Watch the premiere on October 6 at 6:00 pm EDT at HowardWhiteStory.com/premiere.
Learn more about ATTR-CM and hear Howard “H” White’s story at HowardWhiteStory.com.
About Hip Hop Public Health
Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses the power of music, culture and science to make health information accessible, relevant and actionable. Founded by Dr. Olajide Williams and Doug E. Fresh, HHPH develops evidence-based educational resources and community partnerships that advance health literacy, disease prevention and health equity. HHPH serves as the Community & Health Education Partner for this initiative. For more information, visit hhph.org.
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 planned YouTube premiere, community viewings and educational programming; BridgeBio’s plans to support ATTR-CM education and awareness; and the potential benefits of greater awareness, earlier recognition and diagnosis of ATTR-CM. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions and expectations as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that such plans, intentions or expectations will be attained or achieved. Actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements due to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including 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. 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. 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 Media Contact:
Kaitlyn Reilly, Director, Communications
[email protected]
(650) 789-8220
BridgeBio Investor Contact:
Kristen Kelleher, Director, Investor Relations
[email protected]
References
1. Attruby.com, “What Is ATTR-CM?” Disease overview and symptom information. Accessed January 27, 2026.
2. Attruby.com, “Signs & Symptoms” section. Accessed January 27, 2026.
3. Quarta CC, Buxbaum JN, Shah AM, et al. The amyloidogenic V122I transthyretin variant in elderly black Americans. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(1):21-29. Accessed January 27, 2026.