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Cytokinetics – Reldesemtiv

Background

Cytokinetics is a company that was founded in 1997 to develop treatments targeting impairments in muscle function. 

Cytokinetics has recently tested reldesemtiv after previously working on their initial ALS drug tirasemtiv. Tirasemtiv showed promising results in a Phase 2 clinical trial (BENEFIT-ALS) in 2014, and was followed by a phase 3 clinical trial (VITALITY-ALS) that failed to show any significant positive effects on the disease. One of the key problems with tirasemtiv was tolerability. Despite targeting muscle, it also entered the brain and caused nausea, dizziness and other symptoms that were considered safe, but not particularly tolerable, as it caused participants to drop out of trials, thereby reducing the statistical power needed to determine any benefit. 

Prior to the completion of the phase 3 trial, Cytokinetics also conducted a phase 2 trial of reldesemtiv, which had all the muscle benefits of tirasemtiv, but without the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system and cause the unwanted side effects of dizziness and nausea. This was a large phase 2 clinical trial (over 400 participants) that had vastly improved tolerance but did not meet it’s goals of showing statistically significant slowing of breathing capacity, disease progression rate or muscle strength. However, as the dosing was only for 12 weeks and the trends were in the direction of a positive result, the interpretation was not necessarily that of a failed trial, but rather one that would need further testing to determine if reldesemtiv has value for treating ALS. 

Cytokinetics commenced a phase 3 clinical trial in 2021, called Clinical Outcomes Using Reldesemtiv on ALSFRS-R in a Global Evaluation of ALS (COURAGE-ALS), with a goal of enrolling 555 participants at sites across multiple countries. The trial included two planned unblinded interim analyses conducted by the Data Monitoring Committee. The first interim analysis assessed for futility, 12 weeks after approximately one-third or more of the planned sample size were randomized. The second interim analysis assessed for futility with the option for a fixed increase in total enrollment, if it had been deemed necessary, to augment the statistical power of the trial.

At the first interim analysis in October 2022, the DMC reviewed unblinded data from COURAGE-ALS and recommended that conduct of the clinical trial of reldesemtiv continue. However, following the 2nd interim review in March 2023, the DMC reviewed further accumulated unblinded data from COURAGE-ALS and recommended the discontinuation of the clinical trial due to futility. This was due to it finding no evidence of effect in patients treated with reldesemtiv relative to placebo on the primary endpoint of change from baseline to 24 weeks in ALSFRS-R or in key secondary endpoints. In addition, Cytokinetics plans to discontinue treatment with reldesemtiv in all patients including those in the open-label extension study, COURAGE-ALS OLE.

Although a negative outcome, Cytokinetics should be commended for their strong study design incorporating these interim reviews which curtailed the unnecessary burden for participants in continuing on an ineffective treatment or placebo.

We sincerely thank Cytokinetics for their commitment to trying to bring new treatments to the MND/ALS community. During their involvement in developing new MND/ALS treatments Cytokinetics have been a fantastic supporter of the community.

Recommendation

The failure of the COURAGE-ALS trial has demonstrated that reldesemtiv will not be an effective therapy for MND/ALS.

International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations
April 2023


The original language of communication is English and any translation cannot be guaranteed for accuracy of messaging.

Primary Sidebar

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    Duncan Bayly , MND Australia

  • Daniel Hare

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  • Alejandro Aquino, Diagnosed 2011 , Asociación ELA Argentina

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  • Jose Espinosa, Argentina

    Jose Espinosa, Argentina

  • Steve Gallagher, ALS Society of Canada

    Steve Gallagher, ALS Society of Canada
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  • Margarita Pizarro, Asociacion ELA Argentina, Diagnosed 2017, Argentina

    Margarita Pizarro, Asociacion ELA Argentina, Diagnosed 2017, Argentina

  • Kris Van Reusel, Belgium

    Kris Van Reusel, Belgium

  • Mike Small, Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, UK

    Mike Small, Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, UK

  • Philip Brindle,  MND Association,  Diagnosed 2015,  England

    Philip Brindle, MND Association, Diagnosed 2015, England

  • Stephanie Christiansen Hall, Canada

    Stephanie Christiansen Hall, Canada

  • Alfredo Santos, Diagnosed 2013 , ACELA, Colombia

    Alfredo Santos, Diagnosed 2013 , ACELA, Colombia

  • Brigitte Wernli,  Association ALS Switzerland,  Diagnosed 2014

    Brigitte Wernli, Association ALS Switzerland, Diagnosed 2014

  • Conny van der Meijden, Diagnosed 2001,  ALS Netherlands

    Conny van der Meijden, Diagnosed 2001, ALS Netherlands

  • Robbie Caliste, UK

    Robbie Caliste, UK

  • Jean

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  • Ana Lilia RodriguezApoyo Integral Gila A.C., Diagnosed 2018, Mexico

    Ana Lilia RodriguezApoyo Integral Gila A.C., Diagnosed 2018, Mexico

  • Animesh Kumar, Diagnosed 2013 , Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

    Animesh Kumar, Diagnosed 2013 , Asha Ek Hope Foundation, India

  • Jason Goodman, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

    Jason Goodman, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

  • Frank "Papa" Taylor, USA

    Frank “Papa” Taylor, USA

  • Carlos Alberto Arango, Colombia

    Carlos Alberto Arango, Colombia

  • Mauril Bélanger, Diagnosed 2015 , ALS Canada

    Mauril Bélanger, Diagnosed 2015 , ALS Canada

  • Francisco Perez Palop, Diagnosed 2013 , FUNDELA, Spain

    Francisco Perez Palop, Diagnosed 2013 , FUNDELA, Spain

  • Chris McCauley, Diagnosed 2015 , ALS Canada

    Chris McCauley, Diagnosed 2015 , ALS Canada

  • Jean Waters, Diagnosed 2004, MND Association of England, Wales and N Ireland

    Jean Waters, Diagnosed 2004, MND Association of England, Wales and N Ireland

  • Feng Gin Sun, Diagnosed 2014 , Shaanxi ALS Association, China

    Feng Gin Sun, Diagnosed 2014 , Shaanxi ALS Association, China

  • Rosie Riley, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

    Rosie Riley, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

  • Roy

    Roy
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  • Leon Ryba, Asociación ELA Argentina

    Leon Ryba, Asociación ELA Argentina

  • Natalya Rybakova, Russian Charity ALS Foundation

    Natalya Rybakova, Russian Charity ALS Foundation

  • Susan Keldani, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

    Susan Keldani, Les Turner ALS Foundation, USA

  • Brian Lovell, Diagnosed 2011 . MND Australia

    Brian Lovell, Diagnosed 2011 . MND Australia

  • Susan Anderson, Diagnosed 2014 , Hope Loves Company,  USA

    Susan Anderson, Diagnosed 2014 , Hope Loves Company, USA

  • H. Todd Kelly, Diagnosed 2013 , ALS Hope Foundation, USA

    H. Todd Kelly, Diagnosed 2013 , ALS Hope Foundation, USA

  • Carlos Alberto Báez Murillo, ACELA, Colombia

    Carlos Alberto Báez Murillo, ACELA, Colombia

  • Danny Reviers, Diagnosed 1979 , ALS Liga België, Belgium

    Danny Reviers, Diagnosed 1979 , ALS Liga België, Belgium

  • Teddy Hanono Annie, Apoyo Integral Gila A.C., Diagnosed 2018, Mexico

    Teddy Hanono Annie, Apoyo Integral Gila A.C., Diagnosed 2018, Mexico

  • Marco Antonio Alvarez Mercado, Mexico

    Marco Antonio Alvarez Mercado, Mexico

  • Ian Gale, MND Australia

    Ian Gale, MND Australia

  • Yolanda Armendariz, Diagnosed 2017 , FYADENMAC, Mexico

    Yolanda Armendariz, Diagnosed 2017 , FYADENMAC, Mexico

  • Angela Jansen, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V.-DGM, Diagnosed 1995, Germany

    Angela Jansen, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V.-DGM, Diagnosed 1995, Germany

  • Michael Lee, Australia

    Michael Lee, Australia

  • Ian and Teresa Roberts

    Ian and Teresa Roberts

  • Chen Yin Xue, Taiwan MND Association, Diagnosed 1995, Taiwan

    Chen Yin Xue, Taiwan MND Association, Diagnosed 1995, Taiwan

  • Lucy Lintott, Diagnosed 2013 , MND Scotland, UK

    Lucy Lintott, Diagnosed 2013 , MND Scotland, UK

  • Shay Rishoni, Diagnosed 2011 , Prize4Life, Israel

    Shay Rishoni, Diagnosed 2011 , Prize4Life, Israel

  • Marcel R. Wernard, Diagnosed 2016,  ALS Patients Connected,  The Netherlands

    Marcel R. Wernard, Diagnosed 2016, ALS Patients Connected, The Netherlands

  • Gudjon Sigurdsson, Diagnosed 2004 , MND Association of Iceland

    Gudjon Sigurdsson, Diagnosed 2004 , MND Association of Iceland

  • Irene McCaughey, Diagnosed 2011,  MND Australia

    Irene McCaughey, Diagnosed 2011, MND Australia

  • Hanne Stenmose, Muskelsvindfonden, Denmark

    Hanne Stenmose, Muskelsvindfonden, Denmark

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    393647_2252248542053_984912751_n

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  • Cytokinetics – Reldesemtiv
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  • TUDCA Trial

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