Kura Oncology

Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage American biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of small-molecule precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Diego, California, where it carries out research and clinical development. It is publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol KURA. Kura's pipeline centers on targeted oncology agents rather than conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. Its best-known programs include ziftomenib, an oral menin inhibitor being developed for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other leukemias bearing KMT2A rearrangements or NPM1 mutations, and tipifarnib, an oral farnesyltransferase inhibitor studied in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and other tumors with HRAS mutations. The company has also advanced earlier-stage assets in its precision oncology portfolio. As a clinical-stage company, Kura does not yet market approved products at scale; its revenue model depends on successful clinical trials, regulatory approvals, and potential partnerships or licensing arrangements with larger pharmaceutical companies. The company has funded its programs through public equity offerings and strategic collaborations, and it operates in the highly competitive oncology drug development space alongside large pharmaceutical firms and other biotechs. Kura positions itself as a precision-medicine specialist, emphasizing biomarker-driven patient selection and oral, well-tolerated agents that can address unmet needs in hematologic malignancies and genetically defined solid tumors. Its brand identity is tied to scientific rigor in translational oncology and to the promise of targeted therapies for patients with limited treatment options.

Kura Oncology was founded in 2014 as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to precision oncology. It established its headquarters in San Diego, California, and built its strategy around small-molecule drugs that target specific genetic alterations driving cancer growth. The company's early identity was closely tied to tipifarnib, an oral farnesyltransferase inhibitor that Kura repositioned for genetically defined patient populations, notably head and neck squamous cell carcinoma harboring HRAS mutations. This biomarker-driven approach became a hallmark of the company's development philosophy. Kura subsequently expanded its pipeline with ziftomenib, an oral menin inhibitor targeting KMT2A-rearranged and NPM1-mutant leukemias, including acute myeloid leukemia. Ziftomenib became a central program for the company and advanced through clinical development, including combination studies in AML. The company went public on Nasdaq under the ticker KURA, using public equity markets to fund its clinical programs. Over time it has also pursued collaborations and licensing arrangements to support development and potential commercialization. As of the mid-2020s, Kura remains a clinical-stage company whose value and brand reputation rest on the progress of its targeted oncology pipeline toward regulatory approval.

• 2014

  Kura Oncology founded as a clinical-stage precision oncology company.

• Company lists on Nasdaq under ticker KURA.

• Ziftomenib advances into clinical development for acute myeloid leukemia.

Clinical-stage precision oncology company developing oral, biomarker-driven targeted cancer therapies.

• ziftomenib

  Oral menin inhibitor in development for KMT2A-rearranged and NPM1-mutant leukemias, including AML.

• tipifarnib

  Oral farnesyltransferase inhibitor studied in HRAS-mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and other tumors.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2026.10.14

  Caspian Therapeutics raises $50 million in financing led by BVF Partners[2]Caspian Therapeutics 完成5000万美元融资，BVF Partners 领投themarketsdaily.com

  Caspian Therapeutics has raised $50 million in financing led by BVF Partners, with participation from the T1D Fund, Invus, Montanova, Eli Lilly and Company, Kura and other investors. The proceeds are expected to fund IND-enabling work, an initial clinical proof-of-concept program and advancement of a second menin inhibitor candidate.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2026.10.14

  Kura Oncology forms Caspian Therapeutics to develop KO-7246 for diabetes[2]Caspian Therapeutics 完成5000万美元融资，BVF Partners 领投themarketsdaily.com

  Kura Oncology has formed a new affiliate, Caspian Therapeutics, and contributed the oral menin inhibitor KO-7246, related intellectual property and know-how to it. Caspian will lead development of the diabetes program, while Kura retains approximately 50% ownership of Caspian and remains focused on oncology.

Read more

1. 1Kura Oncology official websitekuraoncology.com
2. 2Caspian Therapeutics 完成5000万美元融资，BVF Partners 领投themarketsdaily.com