Kura Oncology, Janssen in Tipifarnib License Pact

Kura Oncology, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV for an exclusive license to develop and commercialize tipifarnib in the field of oncology. Tipifarnib, a protein farnesyl transferase inhibitor, is a Phase II-ready program that has demonstrated clinical activity in certain cancers and may be further optimized using an appropriate patient selection strategy.
 
Kura will be responsible for development and commercialization of tipifarnib in oncology, and plans to advance tipifarnib into Phase II trials in 2015 to evaluate activity in certain solid tumors, as well as in patients with hematologic malignancies.
 
“Tipifarnib has demonstrated compelling and durable anti-cancer activity in certain patient subsets and represents a promising clinical development opportunity with the right patient selection strategy,” said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., president and chief executive officer of Kura Oncology. “We intend to leverage advances in next-generation sequencing as well as emerging information about cancer genetics to identify patients most likely to benefit from tipifarnib.”