Concerns linger over Cytokinetics, Amgen heart failure drug despite improved study results

Cytokinetics and Amgen on Friday presented a deeper analysis from a large clinical trial of their chronic heart failure drug, showing a greater benefit for subgroups of patients with more advanced heart failure.

The new findings are somewhat better than the initial study results presented in October. However, the drug, omecamtiv mecarbil, still does not help heart failure patients live longer, so questions about its future — and Amgen’s commitment to it — remain unanswered.

“We did not see an effect on cardiovascular death, but clearly we saw an effect on a clinically meaningful endpoint,” Cytokinetics CEO Robert Blum said in an interview with STAT.

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