Kura Oncology Doses First Patient in Phase 1 Trial of ERK Inhibitor KO-947
April 07 2017 - 6:30AM
Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA), a clinical stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision
medicines for oncology, today announced that the first patient has
been dosed in its Phase 1 clinical trial of KO-947, a potent
and selective small molecule inhibitor of
extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2).
“We are committed to the discovery and development of product
candidates that target oncogenes and oncogenic pathways for the
treatment of cancer,” said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and
CEO of Kura. “We believe KO-947 holds much promise as a potential
therapeutic, and its advancement into the clinic underscores Kura’s
productivity and commitment to building a diverse pipeline of
precision medicines.”
“The RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway is dysregulated in more than 30% of
human cancers, including tumors arising from mutations in KRAS,
NRAS and BRAF, encompassing a number of cancer indications with
significant unmet medical need,” said Antonio Gualberto, M.D.,
Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Kura. “We believe the unique and
differentiated drug properties of KO-947, as well as a significant
body of preclinical data including data just presented at the AACR
meeting this week, make it a compelling therapeutic candidate, and
we look forward to evaluating its tolerability and activity in the
clinic.”
The Phase 1 trial of KO-947 is designed to determine the maximum
tolerated dose of KO-947 in patients with locally advanced
unresectable or metastatic, relapsed and/or refractory,
non-hematological malignancies. The trial design includes a dose
escalation, maximum–tolerated dose expansion and one or more
tumor-specific extension cohorts. Currently, two tumor-specific
cohorts, non-small cell lung cancer with mutations in RAS or BRAF
and squamous cell carcinomas, have been identified as potential
extension cohorts. Additional information about this clinical trial
is available at clinicaltrials.gov using the identifier:
NCT03051035
About KO-947
KO-947 is a potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of
ERK1/2 kinases. KO-947 exhibits potent anti-proliferative activity
across a broad panel of tumor cell lines with mutations in BRAF,
NRAS or KRAS and demonstrates prolonged pathway inhibition, both in
vitro and in vivo. Durable tumor regression has been observed with
KO-947 in preclinical cell line and patient derived xenograft
models, including KRAS- and BRAF-mutant adenocarcinomas and
squamous cell carcinomas lacking BRAF/RAS mutations.
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 utility of KO-947, the
conduct, results and timing of preclinical studies and clinical
trials and plans regarding future research and development. 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
collaborative partners for further research, clinical trials,
development and commercialization of product candidates. You are
urged to consider statements that include the words “may,” “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
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mark Corbae
Vice President
Canale Communications
(619) 849-5375
mark@canalecomm.com
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