Nov 21 (Reuters) - The UK's drug cost-effectiveness

watchdog has recommended Alnylam Pharmaceuticals' ( ALNY ) heart

disease drug, ensuring access for patients through the

government health system in England and Wales, the company said

on Friday.

The country's drug regulator had approved the injectable

drug, Amvuttra, in July to treat ATTR-CM, a condition where

faulty transthyretin proteins accumulate in the heart,

potentially causing the organ to fail. It is also approved to

treat nerve damage related to the disease.

Analysts have pointed to the drug's potential to become the

new standard of care in ATTR-CM for its ability to reduce the

production of the disease-causing protein at its source, unlike

rival Pfizer's ( PFE ) Vyndaqel and BridgeBio's

Attruby, which stabilize transthyretin production.

The final guidance from the National Institute for Health

and Care Excellence is expected next month and will enable

routine NHS access to the drug for eligible patients.

There are about 1,500 patients in the UK, Alnylam CEO Yvonne

Greenstreet said, adding that it is an important market for the

company "in terms of clinical trials ... (and) infrastructure

that we have here".

Amvuttra, chemically called vutrisiran, brought in global

sales of $685.3 million in the quarter ended September 30, more

than double the revenue from a year earlier.

The U.S. health regulator had expanded the drug's approval

earlier this year to treat ATTR-CM, giving it access to a

multi-billion dollar market.

"The U.S. is the largest market and Japan is also a

significant market for us," Greenstreet said.