Cytokinetics, The Mended Hearts, Inc. and WomenHeart Announce Launch of New Initiative to Increase Engagement in Cardiovascular Clinical Trials

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., and ALBANY, Ga., and WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK), together with The Mended Hearts, Inc. and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, today announced the launch of ENACT: Empower, Navigate, Activate for Clinical Trials, an initiative designed to champion greater awareness and engagement in cardiovascular clinical trials by reducing barriers, increasing support and empowering patients in groups historically underrepresented in clinical research, including people of color and women to confidently navigate the clinical trial experience from start to finish. ENACT is a joint initiative of The Mended Hearts, Inc. and WomenHeart, made possible through grant funding from Cytokinetics provided to each organization to address their respective constituencies.

The goal of ENACT is to provide greater education to patients with cardiovascular diseases participating in clinical trials. With an initial focus on clinical trials in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), ENACT will offer educational resources such as videos and written guides, and will train peer support volunteers to help address the unique questions, experiences and considerations people may have about clinical trials.

ENACT is designed to develop dynamically with the strategic direction of each partnering organization and the needs of the communities they serve. During the initial launch, The Mended Hearts, Inc. and WomenHeart will create complementary content, modules and resources based on their unique expertise and constituencies. As the program grows, new topics, offerings, partners and funders may be introduced, all anchored in the common goal of improving patients’ understanding, access and experiences in cardiovascular clinical trials.

“We commend The Mended Hearts, Inc. and WomenHeart on this joint initiative to help make cardiovascular clinical trials more accessible, approachable and inclusive,” said Mary Pomerantz, Cytokinetics’ Senior Director of Patient Advocacy and Engagement. “A critical imperative within our commitment to addressing health equity is increasing diversity in clinical trials. ENACT is one important tool in working towards this goal by empowering individuals with cardiovascular disease to consider participating in clinical research, ultimately helping to promote clinical trial populations that better reflect real-world populations.”

“At The Mended Hearts, Inc. we are committed to fostering a community of support and empowerment for individuals and caregivers navigating heart disease by providing them with compassion, education and resources,” said Denise Duch Widzgowski, President and Chair of the Board of The Mended Hearts, Inc. “By joining forces with WomenHeart, and thanks to the support of Cytokinetics, we can extend our reach and the informational resources we provide to assist patients in navigating the complexities of the clinical trial landscape.”

“We take great pride in collaborating with The Mended Hearts, Inc. to bring forward the ENACT initiative to cardiovascular patients in need, and express our gratitude to Cytokinetics for helping launch this initiative,” said Celina Gorre, CEO of WomenHeart. “Women have historically been underrepresented in clinical research, which can limit our understanding of how certain treatments may affect them differently than men. As an organization serving women with heart disease, we hope that by encouraging more women to participate in clinical trials, we can help advance cardiovascular care and at the same time promote equity in clinical research.”

About The Mended Hearts, Inc.

The Mended Hearts, Inc. (MHI) is the world’s largest peer-to-peer cardiovascular patient support network with nearly 100,000 members residing in 20 countries. Founded in 1951 and incorporated in 1955, MHI’s mission is “to inspire hope and improve the quality of life of heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support, education, and advocacy.” For nearly 72 years, MHI has been offering hope, support, and encouragement to patients and families of all ages – from pre-natal diagnosis throughout the lifespan. MHI’s three programs — Mended Little Hearts®, Young Mended Hearts®, and Mended Hearts® — make MHI the only organization in the world that supports patients with all forms of cardiovascular disease throughout the entire lifespan of the patient. MHI volunteers inspire, educate, and empower nearly 400,000 patients and family members each year through a robust network of members who provide services and outreach in hospitals, cardiology offices, clinics, cardiac rehab centers and local communities.

About WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

WomenHeart is the only patient centered organization serving the millions of women in the United States living with or at risk for heart disease—the leading cause of death in women. WomenHeart is devoted to advancing women’s heart health through patient support, community education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.womenheart.org.

About Cytokinetics

Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular 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 cardiac 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 myocardial muscle function and contractility. Cytokinetics is preparing for regulatory submissions for aficamten, its next-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor, following positive results from SEQUOIA-HCM, the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Aficamten is also currently being evaluated in two ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials: MAPLE-HCM, evaluating aficamten as monotherapy compared to metoprolol as monotherapy in patients with obstructive HCM and ACACIA-HCM, evaluating aficamten in patients with non-obstructive HCM. Cytokinetics is also developing omecamtiv mecarbil, a cardiac muscle activator, in patients with heart failure. Additionally, Cytokinetics is developing CK-586, a cardiac myosin inhibitor with a mechanism of action distinct from aficamten for the potential treatment of HFpEF, and CK-136, a cardiac troponin activator for the potential treatment HFrEF and other types of heart failure, such as right ventricular failure resulting from impaired cardiac contractility.

For additional information about Cytokinetics, visit www.cytokinetics.com and follow us on X, 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 express or implied relating to the properties or potential benefits of aficamten or any of our other drug candidates and our ability to obtain regulatory approval for aficamten for the treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or any other indication from FDA or any other regulatory body in the United States or abroad. 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
Diane Weiser
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Investor Relations
(415) 290-7757