Cytokinetics and Cure SMA Renew Partnership to Advance Education and Awareness of SMA
August 26 2020 - 7:30AM
Cure SMA and Cytokinetics (Nasdaq:CYTK) today announced the renewal
of their partnership to increase education, awareness, public
policy and fundraising for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Cytokinetics will lend support for several of Cure SMA’s upcoming
initiatives across the United States and continues as a member of
the Cure SMA Industry Collaboration, a partnership between Cure SMA
and pharmaceutical companies to address topics critical to
advancing drug development in SMA. Cytokinetics remains committed
to serving those living with SMA, a genetic disease that robs
people of their physical strength and can take away their ability
to walk, eat or breathe.
Cytokinetics will sponsor two events to help
fundraise and increase awareness of SMA in the local community. In
September, Cytokinetics will participate as a sponsor of the
Virtual Walk-n-Roll program where SMA families will be walking and
rolling around their neighborhoods for Cure SMA. Then, in October,
Cytokinetics will support Cure SMA’s Evening of Hope: A Virtual
Masquerade, an evening of inspiration, celebration, and hope
uniting the SMA community across the country.
Additionally, Cytokinetics is pleased to
continue its membership in the Cure SMA Industry Collaboration,
which brings together pharmaceutical companies, Cure SMA, and other
non-profit organizations, to address critical issues related to
advancing drug development in SMA. Cytokinetics is actively
involved in topic groups focused on regulatory affairs, clinical
trials and patient reported data.
“Despite our events being entirely virtual due
to the coronavirus pandemic, we are incredibly grateful to have
continued support from Cytokinetics,” said Kenneth Hobby, President
of Cure SMA. “We have seen significant progress in the treatment of
patients with SMA, yet there is still a pressing need to increase
awareness and access to care, especially during a time when
families are facing many unknowns due to COVID-19. We appreciate
our ongoing partnership with Cytokinetics to enable our local and
national initiatives.”
“As we celebrate the courageous patients living
with SMA during SMA Awareness Month, we remain committed to our
longstanding partnership with Cure SMA,” said Robert I. Blum,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Cytokinetics. “Through our
participation in initiatives like the SMA Industry Collaboration we
aim to work hand in hand with industry partners to address key
priorities and unmet needs facing the community in order to improve
the outlook for patients and their families.”
About Spinal Muscular
Atrophy
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a severe,
genetic neuromuscular disease that leads to debilitating muscle
function and progressive, often fatal, muscle weakness. It occurs
in 1 in 6,000 to 10,000 live births each year and is one of the
most common potentially fatal genetic disorders. Spinal muscular
atrophy manifests in various degrees of severity as progressive
muscle weakness resulting in respiratory and mobility impairment.
There are four types of SMA, named for age of initial onset of
muscle weakness and related symptoms: Type 1 (Infantile), Type 2
(Intermediate), Type 3 (Juvenile) and Type 4 (Adult onset). Of the
prevalent population, approximately 80% of the patients are
characterized as Type 2 and Type 3. Life expectancy and disease
severity vary by type of SMA. Type 1 patients have the worst
prognosis, with a life expectancy of no more than two years unless
treated with SMN-directed therapies; Type 2 patients have delayed
motor milestones with the most advanced milestone normally achieved
being sitting unsupported; Type 3 patients can usually stand and
walk but have increasingly limited mobility as their abilities
regress as they age; Type 4 patients may have a normal life span
but eventually suffer gradual weakness in the proximal muscles of
the extremities, eventually resulting in mobility issues. With the
recent introduction of SMN-directed therapies, it is expected that
patients may live longer, but will still have a significant need to
address ongoing disabilities related to respiration and
mobility.
About Cure SMA
Cure SMA is dedicated to the treatment
and cure of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)—a disease that
takes away a person’s ability to walk, eat, or breathe. Since
1984, Cure SMA has grown to be the largest network of
individuals, families, clinicians, and research scientists working
together to advance SMA research, support affected
individuals/caregivers, and educate public and professional
communities about SMA. The organization has directed and invested
in comprehensive research that has shaped the scientific
community's understanding of SMA, led to breakthroughs in treatment
and care, and provided individuals and families the support they
need today. For more information, visit www.cureSMA.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. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Astellas Pharma
Inc. (Astellas) to research, develop and commercialize other novel
mechanism skeletal sarcomere activators (excluding 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 has granted Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Limited an
exclusive license to develop and commercialize CK-274 in China and
Taiwan, in accordance with Cytokinetics’ planned global
registration programs. Cytokinetics is conducting REDWOOD-HCM, a
Phase 2 clinical 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 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(415)
290-7757
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