Cytokinetics
Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company developing sarcomere-directed small molecule therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and neuromuscular diseases. Its lead drug, MYQORZO (aficamten), is approved in the U.S., EU, and China for obstructive HCM.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersSouth San Francisco, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Cytokinetics does
Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company founded in 1997 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, publicly traded on NASDAQ (CYTK). The company focuses on muscle biology and develops small molecule therapeutics directed at the sarcomere — the fundamental unit of muscle contraction — to address diseases of impaired cardiac and skeletal muscle function. Its lead product, MYQORZO (aficamten), is a cardiac myosin inhibitor approved in the United States (December 2025), the European Union (February 2026), and China (December 2025) for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM), with additional Phase 3 trials underway in non-obstructive HCM (ACACIA-HCM, positive topline May 2026) and pediatric HCM (CEDAR-HCM). The pipeline extends to omecamtiv mecarbil (cardiac myosin activator in COMET-HF Phase 3 for HFrEF), ulacamten/CK-586 (cardiac myosin inhibitor in AMBER-HFpEF Phase 2 for HFpEF), and CK-089 (fast skeletal muscle troponil activator for neuromuscular diseases).
The company's underlying technology is a proprietary sarcomere-directed platform built on 25+ years of muscle biology research, spanning cardiac myosin inhibitors that reduce hypercontractility, cardiac myosin activators that increase contractility, and skeletal muscle troponin activators. Revenue is generated through direct U.S. specialty pharmacy sales of MYQORZO at an annual list price of $108,400 per patient, complemented by milestone payments and royalties from commercialization partners Sanofi (Greater China) and Bayer (Japan). The company has deployed a specialty cardiology sales force targeting high-volume cardiologists, enrolled 700+ prescribers in its REMS program, achieved over 90% awareness among existing Camzyos prescribers within weeks of launch, and is executing direct commercial expansion in Europe starting with Germany (June 2026).
Revenue is in an early ramp phase: Q1 2026 net product revenue was $4.8 million from approximately nine weeks of U.S. sales, supplemented by an $11.9 million Bayer milestone payment, bringing trailing twelve-month revenue through Q1 2026 to $105.8 million (approximately 450% year-over-year growth). The company is unprofitable (EPS of -$6.54 to -$6.84), reflecting heavy investment in clinical trials and commercialization. Liquidity is strong, with approximately $1.2 billion in cash entering 2026, subsequently bolstered by capital raises totaling over $2.2 billion across equity offerings, convertible notes, and the Royalty Pharma collaboration, supporting a global expansion roadmap (Vision 2030) across the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan.
Cytokinetics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cytokinetics
- Legal name
- Cytokinetics, Incorporated
- Website
- https://cytokinetics.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company developing sarcomere-directed small molecule therapies for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and neuromuscular diseases. Its lead drug, MYQORZO (aficamten), is approved in the U.S., EU, and China for obstructive HCM.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cytokinetics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Cardiovascular Biopharmaceuticals
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cardiology & Vascular Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAG)
Keywords
Where Cytokinetics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Cytokinetics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Product Revenue - MYQORZO: Cytokinetics generates product revenue from direct sales of MYQORZO (aficamten) in the United States following FDA approval in December 2025 and commercial launch in January 2026. Q1 2026 net product revenue was $4.8 million from approximately nine weeks of U.S. sales.
- Milestone Payments: Cytokinetics receives milestone payments from commercialization partners upon regulatory approvals and commercial launches. The company recorded an $11.9 million Bayer milestone payment in Q1 2026 and a $7.5 million milestone from Sanofi following NMPA approval in China (December 2025).
- Royalty Revenue: The company receives royalty payments from partners who commercialize its products in international markets. Sanofi holds rights in Greater China, Bayer in Japan, with Cytokinetics eligible for royalties on net sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | MYQORZO (aficamten) annual pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cytokinetics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cytokinetics develops and commercializes small molecule therapeutics that modulate the sarcomere to treat diseases of impaired muscle function. Its lead commercial product, MYQORZO (aficamten), is a cardiac myosin inhibitor approved in the U.S., EU, and China for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The pipeline extends this approach to omecamtiv mecarbil for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (COMET-HF Phase 3) and ulacamten for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (AMBER-HFpEF Phase 2), among others.
Product overview
Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company that has developed its first FDA-approved commercial drug, MYQORZO (aficamten), for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The company operates a diversified pipeline of muscle-directed therapies including aficamten (expanding into non-obstructive HCM and pediatric indications via additional Phase 3 trials), omecamtiv mecarbil (cardiac myosin activator for HFrEF in COMET-HF Phase 3), and ulacamten (for HFpEF in AMBER-HFpEF Phase 2). CK-089 represents early-stage research in skeletal muscle activation for neuromuscular diseases. The company transitioned from development-stage to commercial-stage with the launches of MYQORZO in the U.S. (January 2026), China (December 2025), and EU (Germany, June 2026).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MYQORZO: Brand name for aficamten, a cardiac myosin inhibitor approved for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Products and services
- MYQORZO (aficamten) First-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor approved in the U.S., China, and EU for adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Available as 5mg, 10mg, 15mg, and 20mg tablets with an annual U.S. list price of $108,400 per patient. Improves functional capacity, exercise capacity (peak VO2), NYHA class, and NT-proBNP while reducing left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
- Omecamtiv mecarbil Investigational cardiac myosin activator being evaluated in the COMET-HF Phase 3 trial for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The drug directly activates cardiac myosin to increase contractility.
- Ulacamten (CK-586) Investigational cardiac myosin inhibitor being evaluated in the AMBER-HFpEF Phase 2 trial for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
- Aficamten — Non-Obstructive HCM Program (ACACIA-HCM) Investigational use of aficamten in non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (nHCM) based on the ACACIA-HCM Phase 3 trial, which met both dual primary endpoints and could potentially double the addressable patient population.
- CK-089 Fast skeletal muscle troponin activator in early pipeline development for muscular dystrophy and other skeletal muscle-related conditions.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.74 mL/kg/min improvement in peak oxygen uptake vs placebo (SEQUOIA-HCM, p=0.000002)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cytokinetics
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cytokinetics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Cytokinetics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bayer AGcoreBayer holds exclusive rights to develop and commercialize aficamten (MYQORZO) in Japan, expanding its precision cardiology footprint. Cytokinetics received milestone payments and Bayer plans commercial launch in Japan. Partnership was secured prior to MYQORZO's regulatory approvals.
- SanoficoreSanofi holds exclusive rights to develop and commercialize MYQORZO in Greater China. The partnership triggered a $7.5 million milestone payment following NMPA approval in December 2025, with Cytokinetics eligible for additional milestone payments and royalties on net sales.
- Orsini Specialty PharmacycoreOrsini selected as specialty pharmacy partner for MYQORZO distribution in the United States. Orsini's Chief Commercial Officer stated the company is honored to help patients access this important new therapy, with MYQORZO being the fifth cardiomyopathy therapy in Orsini's portfolio.
- Ji Xing PharmaceuticalsminorLicensing collaboration and royalty monetization deals established for omecamtiv mecarbil in China, as noted in company timeline and historical funding activities.
- AmgenminorHistorical strategic alliance (2006) and equity purchase with Amgen for omecamtiv mecarbil. Cytokinetics subsequently regained worldwide commercialization rights from Amgen and Servier in 2020.
- ServierminorPartnership with Servier for omecamtiv mecarbil commercialization outside the U.S., subsequently ended when Cytokinetics regained global rights in 2020.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cytokinetics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bristol-Myers Squibb: BMS markets Camzyos (mavacamten), the only other FDA-approved cardiac myosin inhibitor for obstructive HCM and Cytokinetics' principal direct competitor targeting the same cardiology prescribers and HCM patient population with a mechanistically overlapping drug.
- Edgewise Therapeutics: Edgewise is developing cardiac myosin modulators (EDG-7314 and others) for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, competing in the same sarcomere-directed HCM space as aficamten and emerging as a third entrant into the cardiac myosin inhibitor class.
- BridgeBio Pharma: BridgeBio develops therapeutics for genetically defined cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including acoramidis for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy and HCM-relevant programs, overlapping in cardiology specialty-pharma positioning and rare cardiac disease focus.
Broad incumbents
- AstraZeneca: AstraZeneca operates a broad cardiovascular franchise (Farxiga for HFrEF/HFpEF, Brilinta, Crestor) and is expanding in heart failure and cardiomyopathies via recent acquisitions, positioning it as a large incumbent peer competing for cardiology prescribers and HF patient share.
- Novartis: Novartis markets Entresto for HFrEF, has a major cardiovascular franchise, and is actively developing heart failure therapies (e.g., LEQTRON) that overlap with Cytokinetics' cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil in HFrEF.
- Pfizer: Pfizer maintains a cardiovascular and heart-failure franchise (Vyndaqel for ATTR-CM) and competes broadly for cardiology share of voice, prescriber relationships, and payer access used by specialty cardiology products like MYQORZO.
- Bayer AG: Bayer holds exclusive rights to commercialize aficamten in Japan under a strategic partnership, and also maintains its own cardiovascular franchise (Xarelto, Eylea) across cardiology and chronic disease areas relevant to Cytokinetics' specialty cardiology positioning.
- Sanofi: Sanofi holds exclusive rights to commercialize MYQORZO in Greater China under a licensing deal, and runs a global cardiovascular and rare-disease franchise (including Praluent, Multaq) that overlaps with the HCM and heart-failure specialty-pharma space.
Emerging players
- Lexeo Therapeutics: Lexeo is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing AAV-based treatments for inherited cardiomyopathies including HCM, representing an alternative modality (gene therapy) targeting the same HCM patient population as MYQORZO in the long term.
- Tenaya Therapeutics: Tenaya is developing gene therapies and small-molecule programs for genetic cardiomyopathies, including HCM, positioning it as an emerging modality competitor in the same underlying genetic HCM population that Cytokinetics' aficamten expansion aims to address.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cytokinetics social profiles
Digital presenceCytokinetics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cytokinetics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Cytokinetics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cytokinetics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cytokinetics
What does Cytokinetics do?
Cytokinetics develops and commercializes small molecule therapeutics that modulate the sarcomere to treat diseases of impaired muscle function. Its lead commercial product, MYQORZO (aficamten), is a cardiac myosin inhibitor approved in the U.S., EU, and China for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The pipeline extends this approach to omecamtiv mecarbil for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (COMET-HF Phase 3) and ulacamten for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (AMBER-HFpEF Phase 2), among others.
Is Cytokinetics a public or private company?
Cytokinetics is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Cytokinetics founded?
Cytokinetics was founded in 1997. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cytokinetics based?
Cytokinetics is headquartered in South San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cytokinetics make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Revenue - MYQORZO is the primary driver. The others are milestone Payments and royalty Revenue.
Who are Cytokinetics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bristol-Myers Squibb, Edgewise Therapeutics and BridgeBio Pharma. Broad incumbents are AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer, Bayer AG and Sanofi. Emerging players are Lexeo Therapeutics and Tenaya Therapeutics.
Does Cytokinetics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cytokinetics.
What industry is Cytokinetics in?
Cytokinetics's product category is Specialty Cardiovascular Biopharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIACAG, Cardiology & Vascular Specialty Pharmaceuticals.