WASHINGTON, May 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- May is ALS
Awareness Month, an annual grassroots effort led by the ALS
community and The ALS Association to raise awareness about
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and move people to action in
advancing the search for effective treatments and a cure. On
Monday, May 2, The ALS Association is
pleased to join Cytokinetics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYTK), along with
people living with ALS and their families, for the ringing of the
closing bell at NASDAQ in New York
City to kick off this year's campaign.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects
nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, people
with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement,
which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five
years of diagnosis. For unknown reasons, veterans are twice as
likely to develop ALS as the general population. There is no known
cause or cure. Currently, there is only one drug approved by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that modestly extends
survival. Proactive, expert community-based and clinical care has
proven to improve quality and extend life by three times as
much.
"We are honored to join Cytokinetics and representatives from
our Greater New York and Golden
West Chapters at NASDAQ to recognize May as ALS Awareness Month,"
said Barb Newhouse, President and
CEO of The ALS Association. "Advancing potential therapies to treat
ALS is key to delivering on our mission. We are thankful that
Cytokinetics shares our vision to create a world without ALS."
The ALS Association has supported many phases of Cytokinetics'
clinical development program for tirasemtiv, a fast skeletal
muscle activator for the potential treatment of ALS. In
June 2015, The Association partnered
with Cytokinetics and The Barrow Neurological Institute at the
University of Arizona in Phoenix to support the collection of plasma
samples from people living with ALS that are enrolled in
Cytokinetics' Phase III clinical trial VITALITY-ALS (Ventilatory
Investigation of Tirasemtiv and Assessment of Longitudinal Indices
after Treatment for a Year in ALS), designed to assess the effects
of tirasemtiv versus placebo on slow vital capacity, or SVC,
and other measures of skeletal muscle strength, and to advance the
discovery of ALS biomarkers in patients with ALS. In March 2016, The Association announced funding to
support Origent Data Sciences, Inc. to enable a research
partnership with Cytokinetics to improve clinical trial design.
Cytokinetics is a proud Gold Level sponsor of The Association's
Walk to Defeat ALS®. On Saturday, May
7, The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter will
celebrate ALS Awareness Month at its Walk to Defeat ALS event at
Pier 45 at the Hudson River Park. Those interested in attending can
register here.
Cytokinetics is also a major sponsor of The ALS Association
Golden West Chapter, and will be honored at the Chapter's upcoming
"Champions for Care and A Cure" benefit on Friday, June 3 in San
Francisco. "Cytokinetics' continued support for the ALS
community ensures that vital resources are available to everyone
who needs them," said Fred Fisher,
MSW, LCSW, President and CEO of the Golden West Chapter
As an important part of ALS Awareness Month, hundreds of people
from across the U.S. will come to Washington, D.C. from May 8-10 to urge lawmakers to advocate for more
ALS research funding and to advance policies to help people living
with the disease at The Association's National ALS Advocacy Day and
Public Policy Conference.
To learn more about ALS Awareness Month, please visit
www.ALSA.org.
Additionally, The ALS Association is honored that Quantum®
Rehab will be the official sponsor of ALS Awareness Month.
Quantum is a Pride Mobility Products® Corporation company and
designs and manufactures complex rehabilitation solutions for
individuals with comprehensive mobility needs. As
a Premier-Level national partner of The Association, Quantum
supports important events, including Walk to Defeat ALS®.
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.
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SOURCE The ALS Association