Cytokinetics and The ALS Association Renew Partnership to Advance the Fight Against ALS
May 27 2020 - 7:30AM
Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq:CYTK) and The ALS Association
today announced the continuation of their partnership in the fight
against ALS. Cytokinetics is a sponsor of the 2020 ALS Roundtables
and ALS Focus, a patient and caregiver led survey program to learn
about individual experiences with ALS. Cytokinetics is also a
Platinum Level Sponsor for initiatives led by The ALS Association
Golden West Chapter, including grant funding for care services for
people with ALS in the Bay Area.
“We are proud to continue our longstanding
partnership with The ALS Association and The ALS Association Golden
West Chapter,” said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics’ President and
Chief Executive Officer. “During these especially difficult times,
people with ALS and their families are confronting new challenges
and concerns, and it is now more important than ever that we
reinforce our commitment to those fighting ALS and our dedication
to making a real difference in their lives.”
In the past year, Cytokinetics led several
initiatives with The ALS Association focused on better
understanding the disease and its impact on patients and
caregivers. In addition, Cytokinetics will participate in the 2020
ALS Roundtables, during which patients, caregivers, industry,
researchers, insurers and clinicians convene to discuss various
topics of importance to the ALS community.
As a supporter of initiatives led by The ALS
Association Golden West Chapter for over 10 years, Cytokinetics
employees participate in local fundraising and awareness events,
including the Napa Valley Ride to Defeat ALS and the South Bay Walk
to Defeat ALS. While certain events have shifted online,
Cytokinetics is continuing its commitment to support the local
community through active participation in these important events,
regardless of their format.
“Cytokinetics has been a longstanding industry
partner, and we value their alignment with our goals to improve
awareness, education, public policy and access to care for the ALS
community. We are grateful to have their steadfast support,” said
Calaneet Balas, President and CEO of The ALS Association.
“Now and always, we are especially grateful to
Cytokinetics for their strong, ongoing partnership and support of
our local events and initiatives," said Fred Fisher, MSW, LCSW,
President and CEO of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter.
“Every year the number of families facing ALS that the Golden West
Chapter serves continues to grow, and we rely on supporters like
Cytokinetics to help us provide critically-needed programs and
services to benefit people living with ALS and their loved
ones.”
About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a
progressive neurodegenerative disease that afflicts approximately
16,000 people in the United States and a comparable number of
patients in Europe. Approximately 5,000 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 The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the only national
nonprofit organization fighting ALS on every front. By leading the
way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS
through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating
multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and
fostering government partnerships, the Association builds hope and
enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new
treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS
Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.
About Cytokinetics
Cytokinetics is a late-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and
commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class
muscle inhibitors 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 impact muscle function and
contractility. Cytokinetics is collaborating
with Amgen Inc. (Amgen) to develop omecamtiv mecarbil, a
novel cardiac muscle activator. Omecamtiv mecarbil is the subject
of an international clinical trials program in patients with heart
failure including GALACTIC-HF and
METEORIC-HF. 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. Cytokinetics is developing reldesemtiv, a
fast skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA) for the potential
treatment of ALS and other neuromuscular indications following
conduct of FORTITUDE-ALS and other Phase 2 clinical trials. The
company is considering potential advancement
of reldesemtiv to Phase 3 pending ongoing regulatory
interactions. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Astellas
Pharma Inc. (Astellas) to research, develop and commercialize other
novel mechanism skeletal sarcomere activators (not including
FSTAs). Licenses held by Amgen and Astellas are subject
to specified co-development and co-commercialization rights
of Cytokinetics. Cytokinetics is also developing
CK-274, a novel cardiac myosin inhibitor that company scientists
discovered independent of its collaborations, for the potential
treatment of hypertrophic
cardiomyopathies. Cytokinetics continues its over 20-year
history of pioneering innovation in muscle biology and related
pharmacology focused to diseases of muscle dysfunction and
conditions of muscle weakness.
For additional information
about Cytokinetics, visit www.cytokinetics.com and follow
us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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 of Cytokinetics’ product
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 the
risks related to Cytokinetics' business outlined in Cytokinetics'
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance, and Cytokinetics' actual results of operations,
financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the
industry in which it operates, may differ materially from the
forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Any
forward-looking statements that Cytokinetics makes in this press
release speak only as of the date of this press release.
Cytokinetics assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise, after the date of this press release.
Contact:CytokineticsDiane WeiserSenior Vice
President, Corporate Communications, Investor Relations(650)
624-3060
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