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Full-Time

Associate Director

Pharmacology

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Cytokinetics

Cytokinetics

201-500 employees

Develops drugs for muscle function improvement

Biotechnology
Healthcare

Compensation Overview

$189k - $231kAnnually

Senior

San Bruno, CA, USA

Category
Biology Lab & Research
Biology & Biotech
Requirements
  • A PhD with 8+ years of direct drug discovery experience
  • Demonstrated record of achievement in bringing discovery programs from concept through to selection of IND candidate
  • Significant hands-on prior experience with the execution of animal studies related to the evaluation of cardiac or skeletal muscle function, including contractility, metabolism, or growth in disease model
  • Excellent leadership and mentorship skills with experience leading a successful team of research scientists and demonstrated ability to mentor junior PhDs and associates working in collaborative, multidisciplinary drug discovery programs
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to work in multidisciplinary project teams
Responsibilities
  • Provide scientific leadership in the area of cardiac or skeletal muscle biology and function from program conception to candidate nomination for clinical development as well as ongoing translational studies for compounds once clinical studies begin
  • Provide functional line management in pharmacology for respective programs, including design and execution of lead optimization paradigm, experimental planning, oversight in the development of new experimental protocols and procedures, and management and analysis of resulting experimental data
  • Present experimental results at internal meetings and scientific conferences
  • Propose and articulate the scientific and therapeutic hypotheses for new drug discovery programs
  • Provide scientific leadership and management of both internal resources and external collaborations to characterize the action of small molecules on their targets and place the results into a therapeutic context.
  • Management of budget and resources to conduct internal and CRO-based studies to drive projects forward

Cytokinetics focuses on developing medicines that improve muscle function for patients with cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases. Their products are small molecule drugs designed to either enhance or inhibit muscle function, tailored to specific therapeutic needs. The company has a pipeline of drugs, including omecamtiv mecarbil and reldesemtiv, which are in various stages of clinical trials. Unlike many competitors, Cytokinetics emphasizes rigorous scientific research and has conducted over 50 clinical trials to ensure the effectiveness of its treatments. The goal is to bring new therapies to market that address the unmet needs of patients suffering from conditions like heart failure, ALS, and HCM.

Company Stage

IPO

Total Funding

$1.2B

Headquarters

South San Francisco, California

Founded

1998

Growth & Insights
Headcount

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

21%
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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Successful Phase III trial results for aficamten in treating obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) highlight the company's potential for market leadership in this area.
  • The $575M funding from Royalty Pharma ensures strong financial support for the commercial launch of aficamten and further R&D activities.
  • Recent investments and stock offerings indicate strong investor confidence and provide additional capital for growth and development.

What critics are saying

  • The late-stage biopharmaceutical market is highly competitive, with significant pressure to bring drugs to market quickly and efficiently.
  • Dependence on the success of clinical trials and regulatory approvals poses inherent risks, as any setbacks could delay commercialization and revenue generation.

What makes Cytokinetics unique

  • Cytokinetics focuses on muscle function improvement for cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases, a niche area with high unmet medical needs.
  • The company has a robust pipeline of small molecule muscle activators and inhibitors, setting it apart from competitors with more generalized drug portfolios.
  • Strategic funding collaborations, such as the $575M deal with Royalty Pharma, provide significant financial backing for their R&D and commercialization efforts.

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