We believe serious diseases deserveserious attention


Cytokinetics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and best-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for people with debilitating diseases in which muscle performance is compromised and/or declining. A leader in muscle biology research with more than 60 publications, over 50 clinical trials, and hundreds of issued patents, Cytokinetics is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact muscle function and contractility.

Cytokinetics was founded in 1998 by pioneers in the field of muscle biology. Over the years, our company has developed an unparalleled expertise, keeping it at the forefront of drug discovery and development for diseases impacting muscle performance. Muscle plays a critical role in everyday physical functionality, including proper circulation, movement, and even the ability to breathe. As a result, conditions or syndromes that lead to dysfunction of muscle have serious consequences on survival and well-being.

Cytokinetics takes a purpose-driven approach by leveraging our unique muscle biology expertise to engineer compounds with specific characteristics aimed at treating diseases that impact muscle function. By directly targeting the sarcomere, the foundation of muscle contraction, the treatments we are developing have the potential to preserve and extend independence and self-reliance in people suffering from debilitating diseases. Cytokinetics is dedicated to helping underserved patient populations which lack effective therapies.

Cytokinetics scientists have discovered a robust pipeline of small molecule muscle activators and inhibitors; omecamtiv mecarbil, a cardiac myosin activator currently in two Phase 3 clinical trials for people living with heart failure; reldesemtiv, a fast skeletal muscle troponin activator in a Phase 2 clinical trial in people living with ALS; CK-274, a cardiac myosin inhibitor currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial; AMG 594, a cardiac troponin activator currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial currently in a Phase 1 clinical trial; and CK-601, a next-generation FSTA recently advanced into development. Our muscle biology drug discovery and development platform has great potential for many other diseases and medical conditions characterized by muscle weakness, fatigue, or diminished muscle function.

Our Partnerships

Amgen: In 2006, Amgen and Cytokinetics entered into a strategic alliance to discover, develop, and commercialize novel small molecule therapeutics designed to activate cardiac muscle for the potential treatment of heart failure. Initially, following Amgen’s option exercise in 2009, the collaboration was worldwide, excluding Japan. The companies expanded the collaboration in 2013 to provide Amgen with worldwide rights to develop and commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil and related compounds for the treatment of heart failure subject to development and commercial participation rights of Cytokinetics. Amgen has granted a sublicense to Servier to commercialize omecamtiv mecarbil in Europe and certain other countries. In February 2017, Cytokinetics agreed to exercise its option to co-invest with Amgen in the Phase 3 development program of omecamtiv mecarbil in exchange for increased royalties from Amgen on worldwide sales of omecamtiv mecarbil outside Japan and co-promotion rights. Exercising this option and co-funding affords Cytokinetics the right to co-promote omecamtiv mecarbil in institutional care settings in North America, with reimbursement by Amgen for certain sales force activities. AMG 594 is an additional cardiac sarcomere activator discovered under the joint research program conducted between Amgen and Cytokinetics scientists. Its further development and commercialization is subject to the collaboration agreement between Amgen and Cytokinetics.


In July 2016, Cytokinetics and Astellas announced expansion of the collaboration to include ALS. Through this expansion, Cytokinetics granted Astellas an option right for the development and commercialization of tirasemtiv. Development of tirasemtiv was suspended in November 2017. The companies also agreed to amend their collaboration agreement to enable the development of reldesemtiv for the potential treatment of ALS and to extend their joint research focused on the discovery of additional next-generation skeletal muscle activators through 2017. CK-601 is an additional compound discovered under a joint research program conducted between Astellas and Cytokinetics. Its further development and commercialization is subject to the collaboration agreement between Astellas and Cytokinetics.