SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) and the American Heart Association (AHA) Bay Area today announced a three-year collaboration to accelerate education and awareness of heart disease. Within the collaboration, Cytokinetics will provide funding and support for several initiatives led by AHA Bay Area.
In 2022, Cytokinetics will sponsor the Research Roundtable, a life-sciences industry fundraising event. Cytokinetics will also support several Bay Area Heart Walks by establishing an enhanced VIP area for patients and caregivers, which will provide additional space for friends, families, coworkers and neighbors to demonstrate their commitment to their health and to honor loved ones with heart disease or stroke. Additionally, Cytokinetics will elevate patient voices throughout the year by supporting the development of three new patient videos in the AHA series, “Conversations from the Heart,” to be shared online and on social media.
“Partnering with the AHA Bay Area helps us fulfill our responsibility of supporting those in our community, and there’s no better time to announce this collaboration than during Heart Month,” said Robert I. Blum, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cytokinetics. “Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and for many diseases such as heart failure, the prevalence is only increasing. As we remain dedicated to our mission to address unmet needs in diseases like heart failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, it remains a top priority to elevate attention of heart disease, and we look forward to continuing to work together with the AHA Bay Area to advance their goals and initiatives.”
“We are grateful to be expanding our efforts with Cytokinetics through this collaborative effort,” said Laura Steinfeldt, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the AHA Bay Area. “Heart disease affects so many people across the country, and Cytokinetics’ support allows us to expand our outreach to patients and caregivers impacted by heart disease in our local communities and ensure equitable access to resources for all.”
About Heart Disease
Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure and others. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, attributable to 659,000 deaths a year,¹ or approximately one in every four deaths. The economic burden of heart disease in the United States totals about $363 billion.²
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with AHA on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
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. 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 readying for the potential commercialization of omecamtiv mecarbil, its cardiac muscle activator, following positive results from GALACTIC-HF, a large, international Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with heart failure. Cytokinetics is also developing aficamten, a next-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor, for the potential treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM). The company has announced positive results from Cohorts 1, 2 and 3 in REDWOOD-HCM, a Phase 2 clinical trial of aficamten in patients with symptomatic obstructive HCM. Cytokinetics is conducting start-up activities for SEQUOIA-HCM, the Phase 3 clinical trial of aficamten in patients with obstructive HCM. Cytokinetics is also developing reldesemtiv, an investigational fast skeletal muscle troponin activator, currently the subject of COURAGE-ALS, a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 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 outlines 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.
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Contact:
Cytokinetics
Joanna Siegall
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Investor Relations
(425) 314-1721
References:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying Cause of Death, 1999–2018. CDC WONDER Online Database. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2018.
- Virani SS, Alonso A, Aparicio HJ, Benjamin EJ, Bittencourt MS, Callaway CW, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2021 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2021;143:e254–e743.
