On August 25, 2020 Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, reported the appointment of Stephen Dale, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer (Press release, Kura Oncology, AUG 25, 2020, View Source [SID1234563998]). 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.
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"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."