Targeted failure of the week. Post No 99. Omecamtiv mecarbil

Omecamtiv mecarbil is a novel, small-molecule, direct activator of cardiac myosin, the motor protein that causes cardiac contraction. It is being evaluated as a potential treatment of heart failure in both intravenous and oral formulations with the goal of establishing a new continuum of care for patients in both the in-hospital and outpatient settings.

Cytokinetics Inc. (NASDAQ:CYTK) fell $2.82 (27%) to $7.65 on Tuesday after it and partner Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) said omecamtiv mecarbil given as a 48-hour IV infusion missed the primary endpoint in the 613-patient Phase IIb ATOMIC-AHF trial to treat patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction hospitalized for acute heart failure. Omecamtiv mecarbil did not improve dyspnea symptom response rate vs. placebo (p=0.33).