Cytokinetics Announces Participation in the Launch of Kainomyx, Inc. Focused to the Treatment of Parasitic Diseases
July 13 2020 - 7:30AM
Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) today announced that
it is participating in the launch of Kainomyx, Inc., a new
biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development
of small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of parasitic
diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Cytokinetics
will transfer certain compounds identified at Cytokinetics to be
selective inhibitors of a cytoskeletal protein in parasites that
may enable Kainomyx research directed to investigational therapies
for global diseases. In exchange for the compounds and enabling
know-how, Cytokinetics will receive an equity position in Kainomyx
and will be eligible for potential single-digit royalties on the
sale of products that may arise from Kainomyx research with the
compounds. In addition, Kainomyx will incubate at Cytokinetics’
facilities in South San Francisco, CA, subject to a separate
sublease agreement.
"We are pleased to partner again with Jim
Spudich, one of our company co-founders, in the launch of another
exciting company,” said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics’ President and
Chief Executive Officer. “This deal continues our history of
extending our science to support the discovery of innovative
therapies beyond the areas that define our own focus and we look
forward to assisting Kainomyx in its important mission.”
“Parasitic diseases remain amongst the most
intractable global health problems,” said Jim Spudich, Chief
Executive Officer of Kainomyx. “We believe that our new company
will be enabled by building on the early research that Cytokinetics
has conducted in the discovery of specific inhibitors of a
parasitic target.”
The partnership with Kainomyx follows
Cytokinetics’ successful track record of research collaborations
leveraging expertise in cytoskeletal biology within and outside of
the company’s core muscle biology focus. Previously, Cytokinetics
entered into research collaborations with MyoKardia, Inc. and
Global Blood Therapeutics that led to the discovery of novel
biopharmaceuticals
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 (HCM).
Cytokinetics is conducting REDWOOD-HCM, a Phase 2 trial of CK-274
in patients with obstructive HCM. 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 the potential benefits or
efficacy of compounds discovered at Cytokinetics that are
inhibitors of parasitic myosin and that may enable Kainomyx
research directed to investigational therapies for third world
diseases, statements relating to the GALACTIC-HF clinical trial,
including the expected timing of the availability of top-line
results; statements relating to the METEORIC-HF clinical trial; the
potential benefits of omecamtiv mecarbil, including its ability to
represent a novel therapeutic strategy to increase cardiac muscle
function and restore cardiac performance; statements relating to
the REDWOOD-HCM clinical trial; statements relating to the
potential benefits of CK-274; statements relating to our
interactions with regulatory authorities in connection to the
potential advancement of a Phase 3 clinical trial of reldesemtiv in
patients with ALS; the potential benefits of reldesemtiv;
Cytokinetics' and its partners' research and development
activities; the design, timing, results, significance and utility
of preclinical and clinical results; and the properties and
potential benefits of 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, 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;
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; Cytokinetics may be unable to obtain or
maintain patent or trade secret protection for its intellectual
property; the nature of Amgen's decisions with respect to the
design, initiation, conduct, timing and continuation of development
activities for omecamtiv mecarbil; standards of care may change,
rendering Cytokinetics' drug candidates obsolete; 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.
Contact:CytokineticsDiane
WeiserSenior Vice President, Corporate Communications &
Investor Relations(415) 290-7757
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