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 3, 2023
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.) |
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12730 High Bluff Drive, Suite 400, San Diego, CA
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92130 |
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
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(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):
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
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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 3, 2023, Kura Oncology, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the Company’s financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023 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 |
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Description |
99.1 |
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104 |
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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.
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KURA ONCOLOGY, INC. |
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Date: August 3, 2023 |
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By: |
/s/ Teresa Bair |
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Teresa Bair |
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Chief Legal Officer |
Exhibit 99.1
Kura Oncology Reports Second Quarter 2023
Financial Results
– Enrollment in registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in NPM1-mutant AML continues to outperform projections –
– First patients dosed in combination study of ziftomenib in NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML –
– Late-breaking clinical data for ziftomenib in NPM1-mutant AML presented at EHA –
– Continued evidence of clinical activity observed in trial of tipifarnib plus alpelisib in PIK3CA-dependent HNSCC –
– First-in-human study of next-generation FTI KO-2806 to begin in second half of 2023 –
– $477 million in cash, equivalents and investments provide runway to mid-2026 –
– Management to host webcast and conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET –
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 3, 2023– 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 2023 financial results and provided a corporate update.
“With its safety, tolerability and clinical activity profile, we believe ziftomenib has the ideal properties to become part of the backbone of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) therapy across the continuum of patient care,” said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. “Our confidence in the program is strengthened by the late-breaking clinical data presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress in June, which showed one of the highest response rates reported for a targeted therapy in the setting of relapsed/refractory AML. Building on momentum generated by these data, enrollment in our Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in patients with relapsed/refractory NPM1-mutant AML continues to outperform our projections, an indication of both the size of this population and its significant unmet need. In addition, we are now treating NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged AML patients with ziftomenib in combination with chemotherapy- and venetoclax-based regimens, and we look forward to sharing preliminary data from this first combination study later this year or early next.”
Recent Highlights
Financial Results
Forecasted Milestones
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 3, 2023, to discuss the financial results for the second quarter 2023 and to provide a corporate update. The live call may be accessed by dialing (888) 886-7786 for domestic callers and (416) 764-8658 for international callers and entering the conference ID: 26884460. 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 is a once-daily, oral drug candidate targeting the menin-KMT2A protein-protein interaction for the treatment of genetically defined AML patients with high unmet need. Kura is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of ziftomenib in NPM1-mutant relapsed or refractory AML (KOMET-001). The Company is also conducting a series of studies to evaluate ziftomenib in combination with current standards of care, beginning with venetoclax/azacitidine and standard induction cytarabine/daunorubicin chemotherapy in NPM1-mutant and KMT2A-rearranged newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory AML (KOMET-007). 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). Kura is also preparing to evaluate KO-2806, a next-generation FTI, in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted therapies, beginning with ccRCC (FIT-001). For additional information, please visit Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com and follow us on Twitter 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, tipifarnib and KO-2806, 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 regulatory approval path for tipifarnib, 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 mid-2026. 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. |
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Statements of Operations Data |
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(unaudited) |
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(in thousands, except per share data) |
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Three Months Ended |
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Six Months Ended |
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June 30, |
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June 30, |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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Operating Expenses: |
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Research and development |
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$ |
28,182 |
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$ |
24,258 |
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$ |
53,374 |
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$ |
45,171 |
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General and administrative |
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11,821 |
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11,075 |
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23,195 |
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22,944 |
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Total operating expenses |
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40,003 |
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35,333 |
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76,569 |
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68,115 |
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Other income, net |
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2,829 |
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564 |
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5,326 |
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893 |
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Net loss |
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$ |
(37,174 |
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$ |
(34,769 |
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$ |
(71,243 |
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$ |
(67,222 |
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Net loss per share, basic and diluted |
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$ |
(0.53 |
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$ |
(0.52 |
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$ |
(1.03 |
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$ |
(1.01 |
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Weighted average number of shares used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted |
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69,795 |
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66,672 |
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69,103 |
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66,639 |
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KURA ONCOLOGY, INC. |
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Balance Sheet Data |
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(unaudited) |
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(in thousands) |
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June 30, |
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December 31, |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments |
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$ |
476,979 |
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$ |
437,985 |
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Working capital |
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461,747 |
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422,369 |
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Total assets |
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494,737 |
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456,306 |
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Long-term liabilities |
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11,160 |
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11,971 |
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Accumulated deficit |
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(640,051 |
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(568,808 |
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Stockholders’ equity |
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459,678 |
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420,278 |
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Contacts
Investors:
Pete De Spain
Executive Vice President, Investor Relations &
Corporate Communications
(858) 500-8803
pete@kuraoncology.com
Media:
Alexandra Weingarten
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
(858) 500-8822
alexandra@kuraoncology.com