Cytokinetics cancer, cardiovascular news

Cytokinetics restructured and reduced headcount by 45 (29%) to 111. The cuts occurred in G&A and early cancer research. Cytokinetics will discontinue its early stage cancer research program to focus on its preclinical muscle biology programs and its clinical drug candidates. The company's lead candidate is CK-1827452, a cardiac myosin activator in Phase IIa testing to treat heart failure. Cytokinetics said by year end it will submit a data package to Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN, Thousand Oaks, Calif.), which has an option to license worldwide rights to the compound. A decision on the option is expected in early 2009. Cytokinetics also is planning to start Phase IIb trials of the compound next year. ...