Kura Oncology

Kura Oncology

Clinical-stage oncology company develops targeted therapies

Overview

Kura Oncology develops precision medicines for cancer, focusing on small-molecule drugs that target tumors with specific genetic mutations. It is in the clinical-stage, researching and developing its own drug candidates to eventually bring them to market. Its leading candidate, ziftomenib, blocks the menin-KMT2A/MLL protein interaction, offering a targeted approach for genetically defined acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The company is also pursuing tipifarnib for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and other solid tumors. By collaborating with academic institutions and other biotech companies, Kura Oncology expands its pipeline and advances therapies through clinical trials. The goal is to deliver effective, targeted cancer treatments for patients with unmet medical needs and to grow its portfolio through research, development, and partnerships.

About Kura Oncology

Simplify's Rating
Why Kura Oncology is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Biotechnology

Healthcare

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

San Diego, California

Founded

2014

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 12, 2026 revenue reached $9.1 million, up 57% quarter over quarter.
  • Kura won majority new-patient share in R/R NPM1 AML after two quarters.
  • Cash was $519 million on June 30, 2026, plus $180 million Kyowa Kirin.

What critics are saying

  • Syndax's Revuforj already sells in AML, intensifying menin competition throughout 2026.
  • KOMET-017 first top-line readout waits until 2028, extending binary clinical risk.
  • If frontline ziftomenib stalls, Kura remains dependent on one commercial AML franchise.

What makes Kura Oncology unique

  • KOMZIFTI is the only once-daily oral menin inhibitor for R/R NPM1-mutated AML.
  • Kura pairs ziftomenib with 7+3, venetoclax, and FLT3 inhibitors across AML.
  • Darlifarnib broadens the platform into RCC and KRAS-driven solid tumors.

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Funding

Total Funding

$1.2B

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

10 Rounds

Private Placement VC funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Paid Paternity/Maternity Leave

Home Office Stipend

Lifestyle Spending Stipend

Commuter Stipend

Wellness Program

Gym Membership

Company Social Events

Stock Price

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

3%

2 year growth

0%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 13th, 2026
Kura Oncology captures majority of NPM1-mutant AML market share in second quarter despite late entry

Kura Oncology reported $9.1 million in net product revenue for COMZIFTI in Q2 2026, exceeding internal expectations. The company captured majority share of new patient starts in the relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutant AML menin inhibitor market within its second full commercial quarter, despite being second to market. Management attributes the rapid adoption to the product's differentiated profile, including predictable safety and dosing convenience. Physician-initiated combination use accounted for approximately 40% of new patient starts. The company has achieved over 90% engagement with top-priority AML accounts and secured market access covering over 95% of lives. Kura maintained collaboration revenue guidance of $45 million to $55 million for 2026. The pivotal KOMET-017 Phase 3 trial remains on track for top-line results in 2028.

Associated Press
Aug 12th, 2026
Kura Oncology's KOMZIFTI generates $9.1M in Q2, up 57% as it captures majority share in R/R NPM1-mutant AML market

Kura Oncology reported second quarter 2026 financial results, with KOMZIFTI generating $9.1 million in net product revenue, up 57% from the first quarter. The drug also achieved approximately 115 new patient starts, a 35% increase over the previous quarter. KOMZIFTI secured majority share of new patient starts in the relapsed or refractory NPM1-mutant AML menin inhibitor class after two full quarters on the market. The company reported more than 250 total prescriptions in the second quarter, up 59% from the first quarter. Research and development expenses totalled $61.9 million, whilst selling, general and administrative expenses reached $31.8 million. Net loss for the quarter was $68.3 million. As of 30 June 2026, Kura held $519.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, plus $180 million in anticipated collaboration payments from Kyowa Kirin.

Yahoo Finance
Jul 20th, 2026
Kura Oncology shares 65% undervalued as FIT-001 kidney cancer trial data set for presentation

Kura Oncology announced that updated Phase 1a data from its FIT-001 trial in advanced renal cell carcinoma will be presented at the 2026 Kidney Cancer Research Summit. The biotech's shares have shown mixed recent performance, with a 70.75% one-year return contrasting with a 5.15% decline over seven days. Analysts peg the company's fair value at $31.17 per share, well above its last close of $10.86. This valuation assumes successful FDA approval and commercial launch of ziftomenib for relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutant AML. However, Kura Oncology continues to report losses of $294.57 million. Its price-to-sales ratio of 13.5 times exceeds the US biotechs average of 11.3 times, suggesting elevated market expectations despite ongoing clinical and regulatory risks.

Kura Oncology, Inc.
Jul 14th, 2026
Kura Oncology to present first long-term follow-up data further supporting darlifarnib's potential to enhance vegfr-targeted therapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma at KCRS 2026.

Kura Oncology to present first long-term follow-up data further supporting darlifarnib's potential to enhance vegfr-targeted therapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma at KCRS 2026. 07-14-2026 - Oral presentation will feature updated data from the FIT-001 Phase 1a study of darlifarnib plus cabozantinib in cabozantinib-naïve, advanced ccRCC patients - - Updated data expected to support darlifarnib's potential to enhance VEGFR-targeted therapy in ccRCC - - Global randomized Phase 1b study comparing darlifarnib plus cabozantinib versus cabozantinib alone is ongoing - - Results continue to support darlifarnib as a precision combination agent across multiple targeted therapy classes - - Virtual investor call on July 27, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. PT / 8:00 a.m. ET - SAN DIEGO, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, today announced that updated Phase 1a results from the ongoing FIT-001 Phase 1a/1b clinical trial (NCT06026410) evaluating darlifarnib in combination with cabozantinib in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) will be featured in an oral presentation at the 2026 Kidney Cancer Research Summit (KCRS) in Boston. The presentation will highlight long-term follow-up results in heavily pretreated cabozantinib-naïve patients with refractory RCC, providing further evidence of darlifarnib's potential as a combination agent with VEGFR-targeted therapies, a widely used treatment approach in this patient population. RCC is the most common form of kidney cancer, and clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is the most common histology in RCC, accounting for more than 61,000 new cases in the U.S. each year.[1] "Despite meaningful advances in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, there remains a significant need for combination strategies capable of delivering deeper and more durable responses," said Mollie Leoni, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Kura Oncology. "The updated FIT-001 data will further inform the potential of darlifarnib plus cabozantinib as a precision combination strategy in advanced ccRCC. More broadly, Kura's KCRS presentation builds on the growing body of clinical evidence supporting darlifarnib's mechanism of action across VEGF-TKI, KRAS and PI3Ka inhibitor combinations, supporting darlifarnib's potential to enhance clinical activity of these targeted-therapy backbones." The KCRS presentation adds to the FIT-001 RCC results presented at ESMO 2025 and additional findings in cabozantinib-exposed ccRCC patients presented at 2026 IKCS: Europe. Kura is currently enrolling patients in the U.S. and E.U. in the randomized Phase 1b dose-optimization portion of FIT-001 in cabozantinib-naïve, refractory, advanced ccRCC. The randomized Phase 1b portion is evaluating darlifarnib plus cabozantinib versus cabozantinib alone and is designed to inform selection of a recommended Phase 3 dose for a registrational study planned for 2028. The KCRS presentation represents another step in Kura's broader strategy to establish darlifarnib as a precision combination agent capable of enhancing multiple targeted therapy classes through inhibition of adaptive mTORC1 signaling. The first planned expansion is expected to evaluate darlifarnib in combination with daraxonrasib in previously treated RAS-mutated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. 2026 KCRS Presentation Details Title: Farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI) darlifarnib combined with cabozantinib in renal cell carcinoma (RCC): Updated phase 1a results from FIT-001 Date: July 24, 2026 Time: 3:05 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. ET Virtual Investor Event Kura will host a webcast and conference call on July 27, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. PT / 8:00 a.m. ET featuring management and Adanma Ayanambakkam, M.D., M.S., Assistant Professor of Hematology Oncology and Director of Genitourinary Medical Oncology Research, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The live webcast and replay will be available on the Company's website at www.kuraoncology.com under the Investors tab in the Events and Presentations section. About darlifarnib Darlifarnib is a next-generation farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI) designed to inhibit farnesylation of RHEB and suppress mTORC1 signaling, a pathway implicated in adaptive signaling across multiple targeted therapy settings. By suppressing adaptive mTORC1 signaling, darlifarnib is designed to counter a key mechanism of resistance to targeted therapies, with the goal of enhancing the depth and durability of response across multiple targeted therapy classes. About Kura Oncology Kura Oncology is a biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. Kura's pipeline of small molecule drug candidates is designed to target cancer signaling pathways and address high-need hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Kura developed and is commercializing KOMZIFTI(R)(ziftomenib), the FDA-approved once-daily, oral menin inhibitor for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia, and continues to pioneer advancements in menin inhibition and farnesyl transferase inhibition. For additional information, please visit the Kura website at https://kuraoncology.com/ and follow Kura Oncology, Inc on X and LinkedIn. 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, among other things, statements regarding Kura's anticipated presentation of data and results at KCRS, the potential of darlifarnib to enhance the activity of cabozantinib and other VEGFR-targeted therapies and to serve as a combination partner for targeted therapies more broadly, and ongoing and planned clinical trials of darlifarnib in combination with cabozantinib and other targeted therapies. 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 may not obtain approval to market its product candidates, uncertainties associated with performing clinical trials, regulatory filings, and other interactions with regulatory bodies, 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," "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 Kura faces, please refer to Kura'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 assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Dr. Ayanambakkam's disclosures include consulting or advisory roles with AVEO, Pfizer/Astellas; Johnson & Johnson; Kura Oncology: Travel, Accommodations, Expenses, and Research Funding; and Regeneron. [1] Ozay ZI, Jo Y, Galarza Fortuna G, et al. Treatment and Attrition Trends for Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(3):e251201. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.1201 Kura Contact Investors and Media: Greg Mann 858-987-4046 [email protected]

The Bee
May 19th, 2026
Kura Oncology to present at TD Cowen 7th Annual Oncology Innovation Summit.

Kura Oncology to present at TD Cowen 7th Annual Oncology Innovation Summit. GlobeNewswire | Kura Oncology, Inc. Today at 1:02pm PDT SAN DIEGO, May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA) today announced its participation in the TD Cowen 7th Annual Oncology Innovation Summit: Insights for ASCO & EHA. Kura management is scheduled to participate in a virtual fireside chat at 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT on May 26, 2026. The live webcast and archived replay of the event may be accessed on the Investors section of the Company's website at www.kuraoncology.com. About Kura Oncology Kura Oncology is a biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. Kura's pipeline of small molecule drug candidates is designed to target cancer signaling pathways and address high-need hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Kura developed and is commercializing KOMZIFTI(TM)(ziftomenib), the FDA-approved once-daily, oral menin inhibitor for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia, and continues to pioneer advancements in menin inhibition and farnesyl transferase inhibition. For additional information, please visit the Kura website at https://kuraoncology.com/ and follow The Bee News on X and LinkedIn. Kura Contact This is a paid placement. For further inquiries, please contact GlobeNewswire directly.

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