Cytokinetics Sponsors Third Special Interest Subgroup on Interface between Small Molecule Chemistry and Cell Biology

To be held in conjunction with the American Society for Cell Biology 43rd Annual Meeting

South San Francisco, Calif. - December 11, 2003

Cytokinetics, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company focused on cytoskeletal drug discovery and development in the areas of oncology, cardiovascular disease and anti-fungal therapeutics, announced today that it is sponsoring a Special Interest Subgroup at the 43rd American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. The subgroup, to be held on Saturday, December 13, 2003, will assemble a group of experts to discuss the diverse applications of chemical genetics in cell biology and human disease.

Chemical genetics, using synthetic small molecules to understand protein function by measuring induced phenotypic changes in cells, has expanded researchers’ knowledge of normal biological and pathological functioning proteins in the context of the cell. Applications of chemical genetics range from the study of cell signaling, including elucidating the function of key protein kinases, to the exploration of the roles of mitotic kinesins in cancer, a core focus at Cytokinetics.

"We’re pleased to sponsor our third special subgroup at ASCB concerning a topic that we believe is increasingly important in life sciences,” stated James Sabry, M.D., Ph.D., Cytokinetics' President and Chief Executive Officer. “In these post-genomic times, we are fortunate to be witnessing a convergence between advanced chemistries and cell biology thereby providing us with what appear to be unprecedented glimpses into biological function and related disease etiologies.”

Cytokinetics has sponsored two previous subgroups at the annual ASCB meeting: "The Cytoskeleton and Mechanisms of Disease" in 2000 and "Cytoskeletal Pharmacology and the Role of Cytoskeletal Proteins in Human Disease" in 2002. During the same timeframe, the company has made progress in bringing forward, both within oncology and cardiology, drug candidates that are intended to leverage its expertise in cytoskeletal pharmacology.

Founded in 1998 and privately held, Cytokinetics is dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of a novel class of therapeutics resulting from its leadership position in the emerging field of cytoskeletal pharmacology. The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic framework that impacts all aspects of cell function including cell division, cell motility, intracellular transport, muscle contractility and regulation of cellular organization. Cytokinetics' R&D efforts aim to address pharmaceutical needs in cancer, cardiovascular and infectious diseases and feature proprietary Cytometrix™ cellular phenotyping technologies designed to industrialize cell biology for increased speed and productivity in drug discovery and development. Cytokinetics and GlaxoSmithKline have entered into a broad strategic collaboration to discover, develop and commercialize novel small molecule therapeutics targeting mitotic kinesins for applications in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Cytokinetics and GlaxoSmithKline are conducting Phase I studies with the first novel anti-cancer drug candidate emerging from the collaboration and intend to expand clinical development upon completion of these studies. Additional information about Cytokinetics can be obtained at www.cytokinetics.com.

Special Interest Subgroup R at the 43rd Annual ASCB Meeting Saturday, December 13, 2003
1:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, California, Room 102
"The Interface between Small Molecule Chemistry and Cell Biology"

Moderator:

     Marc W. Kirschner, Ph.D.
     Harvard Medical School
     Opening Remarks

Speakers and Topics:

• Craig M. Crews, Ph.D.
  Yale University
  Chemical Genetics: Probing Cell Biology with Small Molecules
  
  
• Randall W. King, M.D., Ph.D.
  Harvard Medical School
  Chemical Genetic Studies of Cell Division and Ubiquitin-Dependent Proteolysis
  
  
• Matthew S. Bogyo, Ph.D.
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Using Chemistry to Answer Biological Questions: Applications from Malaria to Cancer
  
  
• Aaron F. Straight, Ph.D.
  Stanford University
  Chemical Approaches to the Study of Mitosis
  
  
• Jack Taunton, Ph.D.
  University of California at San Francisco
  A Structural Bioinformatics Approach Toward Selective, Irreversible Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  
  
• Kevan Shokat, Ph.D.
  University of California at San Francisco
  Forward and Reverse Chemical Genetic Analysis of Cell Signaling
  
  
• James H. Sabry, M.D., Ph.D.
  Cytokinetics, Inc.
  Concluding Remarks