8-K
0001422143false00014221432024-08-082024-08-08

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 8, 2024

KURA ONCOLOGY, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware

001-37620

61-1547851

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation)

(Commission File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

 

12730 High Bluff Drive, Suite 400, San Diego, CA

92130

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (858) 500-8800

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share

KURA

The Nasdaq Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

 


 

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On August 8, 2024, Kura Oncology, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the Company’s financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024 and providing a corporate update. A copy of this press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.

The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K under Item 2.02 and Exhibit 99.1 hereto are being furnished and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section and will not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement filed by the Company, under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, unless specifically identified as being incorporated therein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

 

Exhibit

Number

Description

99.1

Press release dated August 8, 2024

 

 

 

104

 

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

 

 


 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

KURA ONCOLOGY, INC.

Date: August 8, 2024

By:

/s/ Teresa Bair

Teresa Bair

Chief Legal Officer

 

 

 


EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

https://cdn.kscope.io/f081d8ab296290d70e0fcfb6683f614d-img71811756_0.jpg 

 

 

Kura Oncology Reports Second Quarter 2024

Financial Results

 

– Topline data from registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in R/R NPM1-mutant AML expected in early 2025 –

 

– Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted for ziftomenib in R/R NPM1-mutant AML –

 

– Data from 100 patients in KOMET-007 trial of ziftomenib in combination with ven/aza and 7+3 expected in Q4; Phase 1b expansion study in 1L AML now enrolling –

 

– Investigational New Drug (IND) application cleared for ziftomenib in GIST –

 

– Preclinical data at ADA support potential for menin inhibitor in diabetes –

 

– First patient dosed in study of KO-2806 and adagrasib in KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC –

 

– $491.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments provide runway into 2027 –

 

– Management to host webcast and conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET –

 

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 8, 2024 – Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, today reported second quarter 2024 financial results and provided a corporate update.

 

“This past quarter was highlighted by strong execution across the organization,” said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. “We completed enrollment in our KOMET-001 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and we were delighted to have ziftomenib receive Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA in that indication. In the KOMET-007 study, the safety, tolerability and clinical activity of ziftomenib continue to support advancement of ziftomenib into the frontline (1L) population, and the Phase 1b expansion study in combination with venetoclax and azacitidine (ven/aza) and cytarabine plus daunorubicin (7+3) is now open for enrollment. We are generating a robust clinical data package to support the broad development of ziftomenib, including enrollment of more than 100 patients in the KOMET-007 study, and we look forward to providing an update on this study at a medical meeting later this year, followed by topline data from our registration-directed trial in early 2025.”

 


 

 

Recent Highlights

 

Completion of enrollment in pivotal trial of ziftomenib in R/R NPM1-mutant AML – In May 2024, Kura completed enrollment of 85 patients in the Phase 2 portion of KOMET-001, a registration-directed clinical trial of its menin inhibitor, ziftomenib, in patients with R/R NPM1-mutant AML. NPM1-mutant AML accounts for approximately 30% of new AML cases annually and represents a disease of significant unmet need for which no approved targeted therapy exists. The Company expects to report topline data from the trial in early 2025.

 

Breakthrough Therapy Designation for ziftomenib in NPM1-mutant AML – In April 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) to ziftomenib for the treatment of R/R NPM1-mutant AML. FDA granted BTD based on data from the KOMET-001 trial of ziftomenib in patients with R/R NPM1-mutant AML. BTD is awarded for a drug that treats a serious or life-threatening condition and may demonstrate substantial improvement on one or more clinically significant endpoints over available therapies.

 

Phase 1b expansion portion of KOMET-007 open for enrollment – Kura recently began dosing patients in the Phase 1b expansion portion of its KOMET-007 combination study of ziftomenib. The Phase 1b expansion study includes multiple combination cohorts, including ven/aza in newly diagnosed NPM1-mutant or KMT2A-rearranged AML and 7+3 in newly diagnosed NPM1-mutant or KMT2A-rearranged AML without qualification for high-risk disease. Each combination cohort is expected to enroll approximately 20 patients at 600 mg. The Company expects to present updated data from the KOMET-007 study at a medical meeting in the fourth quarter of 2024.

 

IND for ziftomenib in GIST; proof-of-concept study to begin in early 2025 – Earlier today, Kura announced FDA clearance of its IND application for ziftomenib for the treatment of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in combination with imatinib. Preclinical data suggest ziftomenib has potential to resensitize patients to imatinib and induce deep, durable responses. The Company expects to present the preclinical data for the combination at an upcoming scientific meeting, followed by a proof-of-concept study evaluating ziftomenib and imatinib in patients with advanced GIST in the first half of 2025.

 

Preclinical data support potential for menin inhibitor in diabetes – In June 2024, Kura reported data showing that ziftomenib induces insulin production, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces insulin resistance in a preclinical in vivo model of type 2 diabetes. Ziftomenib demonstrated meaningful levels of glycemic control, including reduced fasting blood glucose levels and %HbA1C within 27 days, as well as consistent improvement in both insulin sensitivity and insulin production. The data were presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific

 


 

Sessions in Orlando. The Company expects to nominate the first in a series of next-generation development candidates targeting diabetes in early 2025.

 

First patient dosed in study of KO-2806 and adagrasib in KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC – Kura recently began dosing patients in its study of KO-2806, a next-generation farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI), in combination with adagrasib in KRASG12C-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The Company’s findings suggest that combining KO-2806 with adagrasib may drive tumor regressions and enhance both duration and depth of antitumor response in preclinical models of KRASG12C-mutated NSCLC. The study of KO-2806 and adagrasib is supported by a clinical collaboration and supply agreement with Mirati, now a Bristol Myers Squibb company.

 

Financial Results

 

Research and development expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were $39.7 million, compared to $28.2 million for the second quarter of 2023.

 

General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2024 were $16.7 million, compared to $11.8 million for the second quarter of 2023.

 

Net loss for the second quarter of 2024 was $50.8 million, compared to a net loss of $37.2 million for the second quarter of 2023. This included non-cash share-based compensation expense of $8.4 million, compared to $7.0 million for the same period in 2023.

 

As of June 30, 2024, Kura had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $491.5 million, compared to $424.0 million as of December 31, 2023.

 

Based on its operating plan, management expects that cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will fund current operations into 2027.

 

Forecasted Milestones

 

Present updated data from the KOMET-007 trial of ziftomenib in combination with ven/aza and 7+3 at a medical meeting in the fourth quarter of 2024.

 

Report topline data from the KOMET-001 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in NPM1-mutant R/R AML in early 2025.

 

Present preclinical data supporting opportunity for ziftomenib in GIST at a scientific meeting in the second half of 2024.

 

Initiate proof-of-concept study evaluating ziftomenib and imatinib in patients with advanced GIST in the first half of 2025.

 

 


 

Nominate a next generation menin inhibitor development candidate in early 2025.

 

Identify the maximum tolerated dose for KO-2806 as a monotherapy in the second half of 2024.

 

Complete enrollment of two expansion cohorts in KURRENT-HN and identify the optimal biologically active dose of tipifarnib and alpelisib by the end of 2024.

 

Present data from the KURRENT-HN trial of tipifarnib in combination with alpelisib in PIK3CA-dependent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in the first half of 2025.

 

Conference Call and Webcast

 

Kura’s management will host a webcast and conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. PT today, August 8, 2024, to discuss the financial results for the second quarter 2024 and to provide a corporate update. The live call may be accessed by dialing (877) 300-8521 for domestic callers and (412) 317-6026 for international callers and entering the conference ID: 10190278. A live webcast and archive of the call will be available online from the investor relations section of the company website at www.kuraoncology.com.

 

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. Ziftomenib, a once-daily, oral drug candidate targeting the menin-KMT2A protein-protein interaction, has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of R/R NPM1-mutant AML. Kura has completed enrollment in a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in R/R NPM1-mutant AML (KOMET-001). The Company is also conducting a series of clinical trials to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with current standards of care in newly diagnosed and R/R NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML. Kura is evaluating KO-2806, a next-generation FTI, in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial as a monotherapy and in combination with targeted therapies (FIT-001). Tipifarnib, a potent and selective FTI, is currently in a Phase 1/2 trial in combination with alpelisib for patients with PIK3CA-dependent HNSCC (KURRENT-HN). For additional information, please visit Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com and follow us 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 statements regarding, among other things, the efficacy, safety and therapeutic potential of Kura’s product candidates,

 


 

ziftomenib, KO-2806 and tipifarnib, progress and expected timing of Kura’s drug development programs and clinical trials and submission of regulatory filings, the presentation of data from clinical trials, plans regarding regulatory filings and future clinical trials, the strength of Kura’s balance sheet and the sufficiency of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments to fund its current operating plan into 2027. 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, applications and other interactions with regulatory bodies, 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,” “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 assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

 

KURA ONCOLOGY, INC.

 

Statements of Operations Data

 

(unaudited)

 

(in thousands, except per share data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Six Months Ended

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

June 30,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research and development

 

$

39,727

 

 

$

28,182

 

 

$

75,995

 

 

$

53,374

 

General and administrative

 

 

16,677

 

 

 

11,821

 

 

 

34,861

 

 

 

23,195

 

Total operating expenses

 

 

56,404

 

 

 

40,003

 

 

 

110,856

 

 

 

76,569

 

Other income, net

 

 

5,567

 

 

 

2,829

 

 

 

10,494

 

 

 

5,326

 

Net loss

 

$

(50,837

)

 

$

(37,174

)

 

$

(100,362

)

 

$

(71,243

)

Net loss per share, basic and diluted

 

$

(0.59

)

 

$

(0.53

)

 

$

(1.18

)

 

$

(1.03

)

Weighted average number of shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted

 

 

86,635

 

 

 

69,795

 

 

 

85,270

 

 

 

69,103

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

KURA ONCOLOGY, INC.

 

Balance Sheet Data

 

(unaudited)

 

(in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 30,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments

 

$

491,519

 

 

$

423,957

 

Working capital

 

 

466,317

 

 

 

397,218

 

Total assets

 

 

515,116

 

 

 

448,935

 

Long-term liabilities

 

 

15,595

 

 

 

16,399

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(821,801

)

 

 

(721,439

)

Stockholders’ equity

 

 

466,070

 

 

 

397,273

 

 

 


 

Contacts

 

Investors:

Pete De Spain

Executive Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

(858) 500-8833

pete@kuraoncology.com

Media:

Cassidy McClain

Vice President

Inizio Evoke Comms

(619) 849-6009

cassidy.mcclain@inizioevoke.com