SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and
WASHINGTON, June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cytokinetics,
Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) and The ALS Association announced an
expanded partnership in which the company will provide Gold Level
Sponsorship of the National Walks to Defeat ALS® as well
as Platinum Level Sponsorship for ALS Association Golden West
Chapter initiatives. In addition, Cytokinetics committed to a
challenge grant to fund care services in the Bay Area.
Cytokinetics' increased funding coincides with the culmination of
ALS Awareness Month and will support The ALS Association's programs
to raise awareness of the disease, honor the perseverance of
patients with ALS and caregivers, and grow momentum from last
year's ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
"We are pleased to expand our national and regional partnerships
with The ALS Association," stated Robert I.
Blum, Cytokinetics' President and Chief Executive
Officer. "Our company remains steadfast in our resolve to
serve the ALS community by increasing awareness, education and care
services for patients confronting this grievous illness."
"Cytokinetics' focus on finding a treatment for ALS is crucial,
and we appreciate their persistent dedication to the fight against
ALS," stated Barbara Newhouse,
President and Chief Executive Officer of The ALS Association.
"We are grateful that the company has chosen to take its support of
our activities to the next level."
"Cytokinetics' support for Chapter events, as well as the
challenge grant, creates an opportunity to ensure that vital care
services are available to everyone who needs them," said
Fred Fisher, MSW, President and CEO,
of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive
neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and
the spinal cord. The disease robs people of the ability to walk, to
talk and even blink an eye. It traps them inside a body they
no longer can control and ultimately prevents them from breathing
as it takes their life. There is no known cause of the
disease, although military veterans are approximately twice as
likely to develop ALS as the general population.
Tirasemtiv, a novel skeletal muscle activator, is the
lead drug candidate from Cytokinetics' skeletal muscle
contractility program. Tirasemtiv selectively activates the
fast skeletal muscle troponin complex by increasing its sensitivity
to calcium and, in preclinical studies and early clinical trials,
demonstrated increases in skeletal muscle force in response to
neuronal input and delays in the onset and reductions in the degree
of muscle fatigue. In a recently completed Phase II study,
tirasemtiv reduced the decline of slow vital capacity, a
measure of respiratory function, in patients with ALS. Cytokinetics
is developing tirasemtiv as a potential treatment for ALS
and is preparing to advance tirasemtiv to a Phase III
clinical development program that is designed to potentially
confirm and extend results from prior clinical studies.
May was ALS Awareness Month, and this year The ALS Association
celebrated the tremendous awareness generated from last summer's
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the incredible impact it had on the
fight against this disease. The ALS Association is grateful not
only for the increased awareness about the disease but also for the
$115 million in donations. Progress
on how The Association is putting these dollars to work can be
viewed here.
About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the
only national non-profit organization fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease 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 clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development
of novel small molecule therapeutics that modulate muscle function
for the potential treatment of serious diseases and medical
conditions. Cytokinetics is developing tirasemtiv, a fast skeletal
muscle activator, as a potential treatment for amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (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 for the potential treatment of ALS.
Cytokinetics plans to initiate a Phase III clinical trial of
tirasemtiv in patients with ALS, called VITALITY-ALS.
Cytokinetics is collaborating with Amgen Inc. to develop omecamtiv
mecarbil, a cardiac muscle activator, for the potential treatment
of heart failure. Cytokinetics is collaborating with Astellas
Pharma Inc. to develop CK-2127107, a fast skeletal muscle
activator, for the potential treatment of spinal muscular atrophy.
Amgen holds an exclusive license worldwide to develop and
commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil and Astellas holds an exclusive
license worldwide to develop and commercialize CK-2127107. Both
licenses are subject to Cytokinetics' specified development and
commercialization participation rights. All of these drug
candidates have arisen from Cytokinetics' muscle biology focused
research activities and are directed towards the cytoskeleton. The
cytoskeleton is a complex biological infrastructure that plays a
fundamental role within every human cell. Additional information
about Cytokinetics can be obtained at
http://www.cytokinetics.com/.
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SOURCE The ALS Association