Kura Oncology Inc Stock Price, News & Analysis

Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA) will announce its fourth quarter and full year 2021 financial results on February 24, 2022, after U.S. markets close. A conference call and webcast will be held at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss the results and provide updates. Kura is focused on precision medicines for cancer treatment, with key developments including KO-539 in clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia and tipifarnib for HRAS mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, which has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation.

Kura Oncology, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced its participation in the 11th Annual SVB Leerink Global Healthcare Conference. CEO Troy Wilson will join a virtual fireside chat on February 17, 2022, at 12:40 p.m. PT. The event will be accessible via a live audio webcast on Kura's website, with a replay available afterward. Kura focuses on precision cancer medicines and is advancing its pipeline of cancer treatments, including KO-539 for AML and Tipifarnib for HRAS mutant HNSCC patients.

Kura Oncology expands its leadership team with key promotions to enhance growth. Mollie Leoni, M.D., becomes Senior Vice President of Clinical Development; Pete De Spain is now Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications; and Tom Doyle is appointed Senior Vice President of Finance and Accounting. Former CFO Marc Grasso steps down effective February 4, 2022, to focus on family, while remaining as an advisor. The new roles aim to strengthen Kura's strategic objectives in advancing precision medicines for cancer treatment.

The FDA has lifted the partial clinical hold on Kura Oncology's KOMET-001 Phase 1b study of KO-539 for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This decision follows an agreement on a mitigation strategy for differentiation syndrome. Kura is resuming patient screening and enrollment, with promising safety and clinical activity observed in current patients. The trial aims to determine the recommended Phase 2 dose for KO-539, targeting patients with NPM1 mutations and KMT2A rearrangements.

Kura Oncology has initiated the first patient dose in its KURRENT trial, investigating the combination of tipifarnib and alpelisib for treating patients with HRAS- and/or PIK3CA-dependent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This trial aims to expand treatment options for up to 50% of HNSCC patients. Preclinical data suggests these oncogenes are co-dependent, and the combination therapy could offer enhanced anti-tumor effects. Tipifarnib has received Breakthrough Therapy designation, focusing on a significant unmet medical need in HNSCC.

Kura Oncology reported promising results from a Phase 2 study of tipifarnib, showing a 56% overall response rate and a median overall survival of 32.8 months in patients with advanced angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). Conducted on 65 patients, the study highlighted the effectiveness of farnesyl transferase inhibition in treating this aggressive cancer type. The response rate for AITL patients was notably high at 56%. Tipifarnib was well-tolerated, with common side effects being hematological and gastrointestinal. These findings underscore the potential of tipifarnib in cancer treatments.

Kura Oncology announced new preclinical findings for KO-539, a selective menin inhibitor, at the ASH Annual Meeting in Atlanta. These data demonstrate KO-539's ability to induce growth inhibition and differentiation in AML cells with KMT2A rearrangements or NPM1 mutations. The combination of KO-539 with the standard of care, venetoclax, shows synergistic effects, enhancing survival in aggressive AML models. KO-539 is currently in a Phase 1b clinical trial for relapsed/refractory AML, with an Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA.

Kura Oncology announced a partial clinical hold on its KOMET-001 Phase 1b study of KO-539 for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) due to a Grade 5 serious adverse event (a patient death) linked to differentiation syndrome. Current patients may continue treatment, but new enrollments are halted. Kura is collaborating with the FDA to lift the hold. As a result, the company has suspended guidance on enrollment completion and the recommended Phase 2 dose of KO-539 until clarity is achieved regarding the hold.

Kura Oncology announced that its CEO, Troy Wilson, will participate in two virtual investor conferences. The first is a fireside chat at the Evercore ISI 4th Annual HealthCONx Conference on November 30, 2021, at 11:20 a.m. ET. The second is at the JMP Securities Hematology and Oncology Summit on December 7, 2021, at 2:20 p.m. ET. Audio webcasts of both events will be available on Kura's website, with archived replays accessible afterward. Kura is focused on developing precision medicines for cancer treatment, with ongoing trials for promising drug candidates.