SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., and WASHINGTON, May 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytokinetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:CYTK) and The ALS Association today announced the continuation of their partnership in the fight against ALS which includes Cytokinetics’ renewal of its Gold Level Sponsorship of the National Walks to Defeat ALS® and Premier Level National ALS Advocacy Conference Sponsorship as well as Platinum Level Sponsorship for initiatives led by The ALS Association Golden West Chapter.
“As we recognize May as ALS Awareness Month, we are proud to continue our longstanding partnership with The ALS Association in our shared mission to serve people living with this devastating disease,” said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics’ President and Chief Executive Officer. “It is increasingly important to step up education, awareness and fundraising activities especially in light of recent discoveries related to genes associated with ALS and a growing pipeline of investigational medicines that hold great promise.”
Over the past year, Cytokinetics has participated in several initiatives led by The ALS Association with the objective to accelerate the execution of clinical trials in ALS, inform the discovery of new biomarkers for ALS and pave the way for faster approvals of new medicines for people living with ALS. This year, representatives of Cytokinetics will participate in several community events with The ALS Association Golden West Chapter including the “Champions for Care and a Cure” celebration, the ALS Awareness Day with the San Francisco Giants, the Napa Valley Ride to Defeat ALS and the South Bay Walk to Defeat ALS. In addition, members of Cytokinetics’ senior management team will attend the National ALS Advocacy Conference in May and join with other advocates in the ALS community in meetings with legislators on Capitol Hill on behalf of patients.
“Cytokinetics is an invaluable partner, and we are pleased to continue our collaboration,” said Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO of The ALS Association. “The renewal of this partnership underscores our shared goal to improve the lives of people with ALS.”
“We are grateful for Cytokinetics’ dedication to the ALS community through their support of the Chapter’s vital programs and events that benefit people diagnosed with ALS and families in our area,” said Fred Fisher, MSW, President and CEO of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter.
About ALS
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that afflicts approximately 30,000 people in the United States and a comparable number of patients in Europe. Approximately 6,000 new cases of ALS are diagnosed each year in the United States. The average life expectancy of an ALS patient is approximately three to five years after diagnosis and only approximately 10 percent of patients survive for more than 10 years. Death is usually due to respiratory failure because of diminished strength in the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing. Few treatment options exist for these patients, resulting in a high unmet need for new therapies to address functional deficits and disease progression.
About Cytokinetics
Cytokinetics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which muscle performance is compromised and/or declining. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to increase muscle function and contractility. Cytokinetics’ lead drug candidate is tirasemtiv, a fast skeletal troponin activator (FSTA). Tirasemtiv is the subject of VITALITY-ALS, an international Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with ALS. Tirasemtiv has been granted orphan drug designation and fast track status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and orphan medicinal product designation by the European Medicines Agency. Cytokinetics is preparing for the potential commercialization of tirasemtiv in North America and Europe and has granted an option to Astellas for development and commercialization in other countries. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Astellas to develop CK-2127107, a next-generation fast skeletal muscle activator. CK-2127107 is the subject of two ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials enrolling patients with spinal muscular atrophy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Amgen Inc. to develop omecamtiv mecarbil, a novel cardiac muscle activator. Omecamtiv mecarbil is the subject of GALACTIC-HF, an international Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with heart failure. Amgen holds an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil with a sublicense held by Servier for commercialization in Europe and certain other countries. Astellas holds an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize CK-2127107. Licenses held by Amgen and Astellas are subject to Cytokinetics' specified co-development and co-commercialization rights. For additional information about Cytokinetics, visit http://www.cytokinetics.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Cytokinetics disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and claims the protection of the Act's Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Cytokinetics’ and its partners’ research and development activities, including the conduct, design, enrollment, progress and timing of results of the VITALITY-ALS Phase 3 clinical trial of tirasemtiv in patients with ALS and the Phase 2 clinical trial of CK-2127107 in patients with SMA; the significance and utility of preclinical study and clinical trial results; and the properties and potential efficacy and safety profile of tirasemtiv, CK-2127107 and Cytokinetics' other drug candidates. Such statements are based on management's current expectations, but actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, further clinical development of tirasemtiv in ALS patients will require significant additional funding, and Cytokinetics may be unable to obtain such additional funding on acceptable terms, if at all; the FDA and/or other regulatory authorities may not accept effects on slow vital capacity as a clinical endpoint to support registration of tirasemtiv for the treatment of ALS; potential difficulties or delays in the development, testing, regulatory approvals for trial commencement, progression or product sale or manufacturing, or production of Cytokinetics' drug candidates that could slow or prevent clinical development or product approval, including risks that current and past results of clinical trials or preclinical studies may not be indicative of future clinical trial results, patient enrollment for or conduct of clinical trials may be difficult or delayed, Cytokinetics' drug candidates may have adverse side effects or inadequate therapeutic efficacy, the FDA or foreign regulatory agencies may delay or limit Cytokinetics' or its partners' ability to conduct clinical trials, and Cytokinetics may be unable to obtain or maintain patent or trade secret protection for its intellectual property; Cytokinetics may incur unanticipated research and development and other costs or be unable to obtain additional financing necessary to conduct development of its products; standards of care may change, rendering Cytokinetics' drug candidates obsolete; and competitive products or alternative therapies may be developed by others for the treatment of indications Cytokinetics' drug candidates and potential drug candidates may target; and risks and uncertainties relating to the timing and receipt of payments from its partners, including milestones and royalties on future potential product sales under Cytokinetics' collaboration agreements with such partners. For further information regarding these and other risks related to Cytokinetics' business, investors should consult Cytokinetics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.