Kura Oncology Presents Update on Pipeline Programs Targeting RAS-ERK Pathway at European Scientific Oncology Conference
Kura is currently evaluating tipifarnib, a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, as a potential treatment for patients with HRAS mutant solid tumors. In his presentation, Dr. Gualberto provided details on three patients with HRAS mutant squamous head and neck cancer (SCCHN), treated with tipifarnib. Two of the three SCCHN patients experienced a confirmed partial response (PR) and have been on study for 15 months and 8 months, while a third patient experienced disease stabilization for 7 months. The two partial responses were observed after 6 and 2 cycles of treatment, respectively. All three SCCHN patients had received prior treatment with cetuximab alone or in combination with chemotherapy but appeared to derive lesser benefit with those regiments than with the subsequent tipifarnib treatment.
“Despite the fact that HRAS was identified as an oncogene more than 40 years ago, there have been no effective therapeutic approaches in the clinic,” said Dr. Gualberto. "These data may constitute the first demonstration of mechanism-based inhibition of HRAS in cancer patients, and support further investigation of tipifarnib in squamous head and neck cancer, an indication of high unmet need."
Dr. Gualberto’s slide presentation is available in the Scientific Presentations and Papers section of
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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 efficacy, safety and therapeutic potential of Kura Oncology’s product candidates including tipifarnib. You are urged to consider statements that include the words “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “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. These forward-looking statements are based upon Kura Oncology’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, the risk that compounds that appeared promising in early studies or clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in later studies or clinical trials, the risk that
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