Cytokinetics Announces Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., April 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) today announced that on March 31, 2021 it granted stock options to purchase an aggregate of 163,700 shares of common stock to three new employees, whose employment commenced in March 2021, as a material inducement to their employment. These grants include the grant of stock options to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock to the Company’s new chief commercial officer, Andrew Callos. The grant was previously approved by the Compensation and Talent Committee of Cytokinetics’ Board of Directors under the company’s Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan.

The stock options that were granted, including the stock options granted to Mr. Callos, are subject to an exercise price of $23.26 per share, which is equal to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on March 31, 2021, and will vest over 4 years, with 1/4^th of the shares underlying the employee’s option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the applicable vesting commencement date and the remaining shares thereafter vesting monthly at a rate of 1/48^th of the shares underlying each employee’s option over the subsequent 36 months, subject to the new employee’s continued service with the Company. Each stock option has a 10-year term and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's Amended and Restated 2004 Equity Incentive Plan and the stock option agreement pursuant to which the option was granted.  

The options were granted as material inducements to employment in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

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 and/or declining. 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 preparing for regulatory interactions for omecamtiv mecarbil, its novel cardiac muscle activator, following positive results from GALACTIC-HF, a large, international Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with heart failure. Cytokinetics is conducting METEORIC-HF, a second Phase 3 clinical trial of omecamtiv mecarbil. Cytokinetics is also developing CK-274, a next-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor, for the potential treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM). Cytokinetics is conducting REDWOOD-HCM, a Phase 2 clinical trial of CK-274 in patients with obstructive HCM. Cytokinetics is also developing reldesemtiv, a fast skeletal muscle troponin activator for the potential treatment of ALS and other neuromuscular indications following conduct of FORTITUDE-ALS and other Phase 2 clinical trials. The company is preparing for the potential advancement of reldesemtiv to a Phase 3 clinical trial in 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.