Cytokinetics Joins Global Initiative to Recognize International Rare Disease Day

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cytokinetics, Incorporated (Nasdaq: CYTK) today announced that it is joining the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) to recognize Rare Disease Day. Rare Disease Day is an international campaign elevating the awareness and public understanding of rare diseases. The initiative spotlights the more than 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease, and the awareness efforts focused on bringing them more equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, care and social opportunity.

“We are proud to be joining EURORDIS, NORD and countless others worldwide to recognize Rare Disease Day and stand in support of those who bravely navigate the complexities and challenges of rare diseases," said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics’ President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we advance aficamten for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with regulatory submissions planned to occur later this year, we also remain committed to championing health equity and are supporting activities to help ensure access to education, support, clinical trials and care for those with rare diseases.”

About Rare Disease Day

Rare Disease Day, which takes place every year on the last day in February, was established in Europe in 2008 by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and is now observed in more than 80 nations. In the United States, Rare Disease Day is sponsored by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), a leading independent, non-profit organization committed to the identification, treatment, and cure of rare diseases. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in the US, a rare disease is defined as one that affects fewer than 200,000 people. With over 6,000 rare diseases, 25 million Americans are living with a rare disease, but only 5 percent of these diseases have a treatment.

About Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease in which the heart muscle (myocardium) becomes abnormally thick (hypertrophied). The thickening of cardiac muscle leads to the inside of the left ventricle becoming smaller and stiffer, and thus the ventricle becomes less able to relax and fill with blood. This ultimately limits the heart’s pumping function, resulting in reduced exercise capacity and symptoms including chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting during physical activity. HCM is the most common monogenic inherited cardiovascular disorder, with approximately 280,000 patients diagnosed in the U.S., however, there are an estimated 400,000-800,000 additional patients who remain undiagnosed.^1,2,3 Two-thirds of patients with HCM have obstructive HCM (oHCM), where the thickening of the cardiac muscle leads to left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction, while one-third have non-obstructive HCM (nHCM), where blood flow isn’t impacted, but the heart muscle is still thickened. People with HCM are at high risk of also developing cardiovascular complications including atrial fibrillation, stroke and mitral valve disease.⁴ People with HCM are at risk for potentially fatal ventricular arrhythmias and it is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in younger people or athletes.⁵ A subset of patients with HCM are at high risk of progressive disease leading to dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure necessitating cardiac transplantation.