Cytokinetics and the ALS Association Renew Partnership to Fight ALS

This morning, Cytokinetics, Incorporated and The ALS Association announced the continuation of their partnership.

The company will renew its Gold Level Sponsorship of the National Walks to Defeat ALS and Premier Level National ALS Advocacy Conference Sponsorship, as well as Platinum Level Sponsorship for initiatives led by The ALS Association Golden West Chapter, including grant funding for care services for people with ALS in the Bay Area.

“We have enjoyed our longstanding, successful collaboration with The ALS Association and look forward to continuing our partnership to support the ALS community,” said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics’ President and Chief Executive Officer in a press release. “Our shared mission to improve the lives of people living with ALS and for their caregivers motivates and inspires us every day as we also pursue our clinical development program to hopefully bring forward much-needed new therapies.”

Cytokinetics has partaken in several initiatives with The ALS Association recently, including the IMPACT-ALS survey, which was conducted in an effort to better understand the concerns of people living with ALS.

Additionally, other programs focused on better understanding the disease, accelerating the conduct of clinical trials and increasing awareness of ALS were collaborated on between the 2 groups. Representatives from Cytokinetics will meet with legislators on Capitol Hill later this month, when they attend the National ALS Advocacy Conference alongside advocates from across the country.

President and CEO of The ALS Association, Calaneet Balas, expressed her excitement for the continuation of the ALS Association and Cytokinetics partnership. “We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Cytokinetics for several years now, and we’re delighted to continue our partnership. We greatly appreciate their support and ingenuity in drug development as well as their support of initiatives related to awareness, public education and public policy.”

In the past, Cytokinetics has also supported local events led by The ALS Association Golden West Chapter. It will continue to do the same in the upcoming year, specifically, when the company’s employees partake in the “Champions for Care and a Cure” Gala, ALS Awareness Day with the San Francisco Giants, the Every Drop Adds Up campaign, the Napa Valley Ride to Defeat ALS, and the South Bay Walk to Defeat ALS.

“Cytokinetics’ involvement in chapter events and support of care services demonstrates their dedication and commitment to people living with ALS in the local community, and we’re grateful to continue our partnership with such a great champion for people affected by ALS,” said Fred Fisher, MSW, President and CEO of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by respiratory failure due to diminished strength in the skeletal muscles responsible for breathing. Many ALS patients live 3-5 years following diagnosis, and only an estimated 10% of patients survive for more than a decade.

Since few treatments options exist for ALS, functional deficits and disease progression persist in the approximately 30,000 patients with ALS in the US.

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