Cytokinetics Selects Heart Failure Drug Development Candidate

Cytokinetics has recently selected a compound arising from its heart failure drug discovery program for development.

The selected compound is currently in preclinical studies. Based on the successful completion of the preclinical program, Cytokinetics intends to submit a regulatory filing for the initiation of first-time-in-human clinical studies in 2005.

Cytokinetics' heart failure program focuses on the discovery and development of small molecules that directly activate cardiac myosin, a cytoskeletal protein that drives cardiac muscle contractility. This mechanism of action results in increased cardiac contractility without increasing intracellular calcium or inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity, which are properties of existing pharmaceuticals that may be associated with adverse clinical effects in heart failure patients. Cardiac myosin activators represent a potential next-generation approach to the treatment of acute and chronic congestive heart failure.