SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 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 biopharmaceuticalsAbout CytokineticsCytokinetics 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 StatementsThis 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:
Cytokinetics
Diane Weiser
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations
(415) 290-7757
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