Kura Oncology Appoints Dr. Stephen Dale as Chief Medical Officer
August 25 2020 - 6:30AM
Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision
medicines for the treatment of cancer, today announced the
appointment of Stephen Dale, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr.
Dale joins Kura most recently from Kyowa Kirin, where he served as
Senior Vice President and Global Head of Medical Science with a
primary focus in oncology.
“I am delighted that Stephen is joining Kura to lead our
clinical development organization,” said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D.,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. “His
extensive background in medical oncology, including the successful
development of multiple targeted therapies coupled with his
leadership skills and experience at leading late-stage drug
development teams, will be invaluable as we continue to advance the
development of tipifarnib in HRAS-dependent head and neck squamous
cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and KO-539 in acute myeloid leukemia
(AML).”
Dr. Dale is a recognized R&D leader with expertise in
oncology and immuno-oncology across both early and late-stage
clinical development. As Global Head of Medical Sciences for Kyowa
Kirin, he was responsible for pan-therapy areas, including
Oncology, Neuroscience, Immunology and Rare Diseases, and was a
significant contributor to both FDA and EMA approvals in oncology
and neurosciences. Previously, he held a series of roles of
increasing responsibility at AstraZeneca, most recently as Global
Clinical Vice President and Clinical Head of Oncology - GMed, where
he oversaw the development of Tagrisso® (osimertinib) for
metastatic EGFR-T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer
(NSCLC). He also worked with the Iressa® (gefitinib) team on the
IPASS study in patients with EGFR activating mutations, which
evoked a paradigm shift in the way NSCLC is treated. Dr. Dale
earned his MD from the University of Manchester Medical School.
“I’m delighted to join Kura and truly honored to serve the
organization as Chief Medical Officer,” said Dr. Dale. “I’m highly
impressed with their proven scientific rigor and commitment to
bringing new cancer medicines to patients in areas of high unmet
medical need. This is an exciting time for the company, with the
registration-directed study of tipifarnib well underway, the
potential to expand the utility of tipifarnib into HRAS and
PI3K-dependent head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) as
well as preliminary data from the emerging menin inhibitor program,
KO-539, in AML anticipated later this year. I look forward to
working with this talented team to drive these clinical programs
through registration-directed trials and potential regulatory
approval.”
Bridget Martell, M.A., M.D., Kura’s acting Chief Medical
Officer, will transition to the role of Senior Scientific Advisor,
where she will continue to advise Kura on initiatives in research
and development and corporate strategy.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Bridget for stepping
up and leading the clinical development organization as acting
Chief Medical Officer through this period of transition,” continued
Dr. Wilson. “She has been instrumental in positioning both
tipifarnib and KO-539 for success in the clinic and I am pleased
that we will continue to benefit from her experience and leadership
going forward.”
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 two wholly
owned 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’s most advanced drug candidate is
tipifarnib, a potent, selective and orally bioavailable farnesyl
transferase inhibitor currently in a registration-directed trial
(AIM-HN) in patients with recurrent or metastatic HRAS mutant
HNSCC. The Company’s pipeline is also highlighted by KO-539, a
potent and selective inhibitor of the menin-KMT2A(MLL)
protein-protein interaction currently in a Phase 1/2A clinical
trial (KOMET-001) in patients with relapsed/refractory AML. For
additional information about Kura, 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, Kura’s potential for growth. 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 performing clinical trials,
regulatory filings and applications, risks associated with reliance
on third parties to successfully conduct clinical trials, the risks
associated with reliance on outside financing to meet capital
requirements, and other risks associated with the process of
discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and
effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of
building a business around such drugs. You are urged to consider
statements that include the words “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,”
“should,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “promise,”
“potential,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipated,” “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.
Contacts
Company:Pete De SpainVice President, Investor Relations
&Corporate Communications(858)
500-8803pete@kuraoncology.com
Investors:Robert H. UhlManaging DirectorWestwicke Partners,
LLC(858) 356-5932robert.uhl@westwicke.com
Media:Jason SparkManaging DirectorCanale Communications(619)
849-6005jason@canalecomm.com
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