On November 4, 2016 Kura Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:KURA), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, reported preclinical findings and data from the company’s ongoing Phase 2 trial in HRAS mutant solid tumors at the 9th European Scientific Oncology Conference (ESOC-9) in Marbella, Spain. Antonio Gualberto, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, delivered a presentation titled, "Targeting the RAS-ERK Pathway (Press release, Kura Oncology, NOV 4, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2219741 [SID1234516287])."

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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 Kura Oncology’s website at www.kuraoncology.com.