Cytokinetics Inc. is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing innovative medicines aimed at improving muscle function in patients with various cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases. The company has established itself as a leader in muscle biology, with a robust pipeline of small molecule muscle activators and inhibitors designed to address conditions such as heart failure, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Their commitment to rigorous research is evident through the completion of over 100 clinical trials, including significant studies on their lead drug candidates, omecamtiv mecarbil for heart failure and aficamten for HCM.

Cytokinetics emphasizes the importance of patient-centricity in their mission, aiming to enhance the healthspan of individuals suffering from debilitating muscle-related conditions. Their research and development efforts are supported by collaborations with numerous research institutions globally, reflecting a strong commitment to advancing the understanding of muscle mechanics and the safety and efficacy of their investigational medicines. The company’s focus on innovation in muscle biology positions it to make meaningful contributions to the treatment landscape for patients with compromised muscle function.

United States

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, we are developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact muscle function and contractility. 

Proud to be a San Francisco Business Times Best Place to Work in 2021 and 2022, a Great Place to Work-Certified company in 2022 and a part of Fortune's Best Workplaces in the Bay Area in 2022 and Fortune's Best Workplaces in BioPharma in 2022.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Musculoskeletal Diseases

Nervous System Diseases

Cytokinetics Inc

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathies

CK-274 reduces the number of active actin-myosin cross bridges during each cardiac cycle and consequently reduces myocardial contractility. CK-274 addresses this hypercontractility by blocking some myosins from &nbsp;pulling, resulting in less contraction, or fewer hands on the rope
CK-3773274, or CK-274, is an investigational, novel, oral, small molecule cardiac myosin inhibitor discovered by company scientists independent of its collaborations, for &nbsp;the potential treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM)

Aficamten 

Heart disease

Heart failure

Pancreatic cancer

Omecamtiv mecarbil&nbsp;is an investigational selective cardiac myosin activator, the first of a novel class of myotropes3&nbsp;designed &nbsp;to directly target the contractile mechanisms of the heart, binding to &nbsp;and recruiting more cardiac myosin heads to interact with actin during &nbsp;systole. Preclinical research has shown that&nbsp;omecamtiv mecarbil&nbsp;increases &nbsp;cardiac contractility without increasing intracellular myocyte calcium &nbsp;concentrations or myocardial oxygen consumption.4-6&nbsp;Cardiac &nbsp;myosin is the cytoskeletal motor protein in the cardiac muscle cell that &nbsp;is directly responsible for converting chemical energy into the &nbsp;mechanical force resulting in cardiac contraction.

Omecamtiv Mecarbil (cardiac myosin activator)

Aficamten

CK-4021586 (CK-586) is a novel, selective, oral, small-molecule cardiac myosin inhibitor designed to reduce the hypercontractility associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). In preclinical models, CK-586 reduced cardiac hypercontractility by decreasing the number of active myosin cross-bridges during cardiac contraction thereby reducing the contractile force, without effect on calcium transients.

CK-4021586 (CK-586) (cardiac myosin inhibitor)

Epilepsy

Cytokinetics is developing CK-136 (AMG 594), an investigational, novel, selective, oral, small molecule cardiac troponin activator, as a potential treatment for people with heart failure and other diseases

CK-3828136 (CK-136) (cardiac troponin activator)

Muscular dystrophy

CK-4015089 (CK-089) is a novel, selective, oral, small molecule fast skeletal muscle troponin activator (FSTA) with potential therapeutic application to a specific type of muscular dystrophy and other conditions of impaired muscle function. CK-089 is designed to selectively activate the fast skeletal muscle troponin complex by increasing its affinity for calcium. CK-089 has a different chemical structure from previously developed FSTAs and in preclinical research, has been observed to have higher bioavailability, solubility and pharmacodynamic efficacy. In preclinical models, CK-089 improved muscle force and function in a mouse model with a specific type of muscular dystrophy associated with muscle weakness and fatigue.

CK-4015089 (CK-089)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Neurodegenerative disease

Contraction of skeletal muscles is driven by the sarcomere, the fundamental unit of muscle contraction, which contains myosin, a protein which converts chemical energy into mechanical force through its interaction with another protein, actin. This interaction is regulated by other proteins including troponin and tropomyosin, and is dependent on changes in calcium. By slowing the rate of calcium release, reldesemtiv sensitizes the sarcomere to calcium, leading to an increase in muscle contractility.

Cytokinetics Inc

Company Details