Kura Oncology Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent for Lead Product Candidate Tipifarnib in Head and Neck Cancer
July 18 2017 - 7:30AM
Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA), a clinical stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision
medicines for oncology, today announced that the United States
Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent protecting the
company's lead product candidate, tipifarnib, which is currently
being studied in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials. The patent
includes multiple claims directed to the use of tipifarnib in
patients with HRAS mutant squamous cell carcinoma of the head and
neck (SCCHN) and has an expiration date of August 2036, excluding
any possible patent term extension.
“Our goal is to identify genetically-defined patient populations
in which tipifarnib will demonstrate enhanced therapeutic activity
and to pursue patent protection in those indications,” said Troy
Wilson, Ph.D., President and CEO of Kura Oncology. “The granting of
this new patent is a major milestone for Kura, and it illustrates
the potential of our broader strategy to generate intellectual
property related to tipifarnib and its use in treating human
diseases.”
U.S. Patent No. 9,707,221, entitled “Methods of Treating Cancer
Patients with Farnesyltransferase Inhibitors” is directed to the
use of tipifarnib for treating patients with relapsed and/or
refractory HRAS SCCHN.
About HRAS Mutant SCCHN
Head and neck cancer is one of the leading causes of
cancer-related deaths worldwide, with squamous cell carcinomas
accounting for most head and neck cancers. The relapsed and/or
refractory SCCHN patient population has an overall survival of
approximately 6-8 months and few therapeutic options. New therapies
for SCCHN, including immunotherapy, typically show a response rate
in the range of 10-20%. HRAS is a proto-oncogene that has been
implicated in the development and progression of SCCHN. HRAS mutant
SCCHN has an estimated annual incidence of approximately 2,800 to
3,400 patients in the U.S. and represents a significant unmet
medical need.
About Tipifarnib
Kura Oncology’s lead program, tipifarnib, is an inhibitor of
farnesylation, a key cell signaling process implicated in cancer
initiation and development. In extensive clinical trials,
tipifarnib has shown a well-established safety profile and
compelling and durable anti-cancer activity in certain patient
subsets. Preclinical and clinical data suggest that, in the
appropriate context, tipifarnib has the potential to provide
significant benefit to cancer patients with limited treatment
options. Leveraging advances in next-generation sequencing as well
as emerging information about cancer genetics and tumor biology,
Kura Oncology is seeking to identify patients most likely to
benefit from tipifarnib.
About Kura Oncology
Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the
treatment of cancer. The company’s pipeline consists of small
molecule drug candidates that target cancer signaling pathways
where there is a strong scientific and clinical rationale to
improve outcomes by identifying those patients most likely to
benefit from treatment. Kura Oncology’s lead drug candidate is
tipifarnib, a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, which is currently
being studied in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials. Kura’s pipeline
also includes KO-947, an ERK inhibitor, currently in a Phase 1
trial, and KO-539, an inhibitor of the menin-MLL protein-protein
interaction, currently in preclinical testing. For additional
information about Kura Oncology, please visit the company’s website
at www.kuraoncology.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements
that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to be materially different from historical results or from
any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements
regarding, among other things, the potential activity, tolerability
and utility of tipifarnib, the conduct, results and timing of
pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, plans regarding future
research and development activities and expectations regarding
intellectual property and biomarkers related to tipifarnib. Factors
that may cause actual results to differ materially include the risk
that compounds that appeared promising in early research or
clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in later
preclinical studies or clinical trials, the risk that Kura Oncology
may not obtain approval to market its product candidates,
uncertainties associated with regulatory filings and applications,
the risks associated with reliance on outside financing to meet
capital requirements, and the risks associated with reliance on
third parties to successfully conduct clinical trials within and
outside the United States and for development and commercialization
of product candidates. You are urged to consider statements that
include the words "may," "might," "will," "would," "could,"
"should," "believes," "estimates," "projects," "promise,"
"potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends,"
"continues," "designed," "goal," or the negative of those
words or other comparable words to be uncertain and
forward-looking. For a further list and description of the risks
and uncertainties the Company faces, please refer to the Company's
periodic and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Such
forward-looking statements are current only as of the date they are
made, and Kura Oncology assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
CONTACT INFORMATION
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Robert H. Uhl
Managing Director
Westwicke Partners, LLC
(858) 356-5932
robert.uhl@westwicke.com
CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT:
Mark Corbae
Vice President
Canale Communications
(619) 849-5375
mark@canalecomm.com
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