Kura Oncology Reports Positive Phase 1 Trial Results for Darlifarnib
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
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Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Trial Results: Kura Oncology's FIT-001 trial shows significant anti-tumor activity with the combination of darlifarnib and adagrasib in heavily pre-treated patients with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced solid tumors, with 77% of patients achieving tumor shrinkage, indicating the efficacy of this combination therapy.
- Response Rates: Among 26 response-evaluable patients, the objective response rates were 67% in PDAC, 50% in NSCLC, and 29% in KRASi-naïve CRC, highlighting the potential of darlifarnib, particularly in heavily pre-treated patients.
- Safety and Tolerability: The combination therapy demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with good tolerability in the clinical trial, and median follow-up times of 6.7 months for PDAC, 6.9 months for NSCLC, and 8.9 months for CRC, further validating its clinical mechanism.
- Future Outlook: Kura Oncology plans to present the FIT-001 trial results at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, which is expected to further advance its FTI platform and enhance the company's competitiveness in the precision medicine sector.
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Analyst Views on KURA
Wall Street analysts forecast KURA stock price to rise
10 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 11.250
Low
16.00
Averages
29.71
High
40.00
Current: 11.250
Low
16.00
Averages
29.71
High
40.00
About KURA
Kura Oncology, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on precision medicine for the treatment of cancer. Its pipeline consists of small molecule product candidates that target cancer signaling pathways. Its product candidates include KOMZIFTI (Ziftomenib), Tipifarnib, and Darlifarnib (KO-2806). Ziftomenib, is a potent, selective, reversible and oral small molecule inhibitor that blocks the interaction of two proteins, menin and the protein expressed by the Lysine K-specific Methyl Transferase 2A gene, or KMT2A gene. Ziftomenib is a selective investigational inhibitor of the menin-KMT2A protein-protein interaction for the treatment of genetically defined subsets of acute leukemias. Tipifarnib is a potent, selective and orally bioavailable farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI). The KO-2806 is an FTI, is being evaluated in a Phase I first-in-human trial as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted therapies.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Trial Results: Kura Oncology's FIT-001 trial shows significant anti-tumor activity with the combination of darlifarnib and adagrasib in heavily pre-treated patients with KRAS G12C-mutated advanced solid tumors, with 77% of patients achieving tumor shrinkage, indicating the efficacy of this combination therapy.
- Response Rates: Among 26 response-evaluable patients, the objective response rates were 67% in PDAC, 50% in NSCLC, and 29% in KRASi-naïve CRC, highlighting the potential of darlifarnib, particularly in heavily pre-treated patients.
- Safety and Tolerability: The combination therapy demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with good tolerability in the clinical trial, and median follow-up times of 6.7 months for PDAC, 6.9 months for NSCLC, and 8.9 months for CRC, further validating its clinical mechanism.
- Future Outlook: Kura Oncology plans to present the FIT-001 trial results at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, which is expected to further advance its FTI platform and enhance the company's competitiveness in the precision medicine sector.
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- Clinical Trial Results: In the FIT-001 trial, 77% of response-evaluable patients achieved tumor shrinkage, particularly in heavily pretreated and KRAS inhibitor-experienced patients, indicating darlifarnib's potential as a precision combination agent that could transform treatment strategies.
- Objective Response Rates: The objective response rate (ORR) was 67% in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients, 50% in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and 29% in KRAS inhibitor-naïve colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, demonstrating the drug's efficacy across multiple difficult-to-treat tumor types.
- Safety and Tolerability: The combination therapy exhibited a manageable safety profile, with 37% of patients remaining on treatment at the data cutoff, indicating good tolerability and laying the groundwork for further clinical development.
- Future Outlook: Kura Oncology plans to host a virtual investor event on June 3, 2026, to further discuss the combination therapy of darlifarnib and adagrasib, which is expected to advance treatment for KRAS-mutated cancers.
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- Revenue Exceeds Expectations: Kura Oncology generated $5.8 million in net product revenue in Q1 2026, surpassing expectations, with 85 new patient starts indicating growing acceptance of KOMZIFTI in the market.
- Significant Coverage Improvement: The company secured coverage for over 93% of insured lives at parity or better without label restrictions, greatly enhancing its competitive position and facilitating sales growth.
- Increased R&D Spending: R&D expenses reached $65.3 million, with selling and administrative expenses at $31.6 million in Q1, yet the company maintains its guidance for collaboration revenue of $45 million to $55 million in 2026, reflecting confidence in future growth.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Kura expects collaboration revenue to reach $90 million to $110 million from 2026 to 2028, with cash and short-term investments totaling $580.8 million, sufficient to support its AML program through anticipated top-line results from KOMET-017 in 2028.
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- Product Revenue Growth: Kura Oncology reported $5.8 million in product revenue from KOMZIFTI in Q1 2026, exceeding expectations and indicating strong physician adoption and repeat prescriptions, thereby enhancing the company's market position across treatment centers.
- R&D Expenses Increase: Research and development expenses rose to $65.3 million in Q1 2026, up from $56 million in Q1 2025, primarily driven by ziftomenib combination trials, reflecting the company's ongoing commitment to innovative drug development.
- Widening Net Loss: Kura's net loss for Q1 2026 was $73.3 million, significantly higher than the $57.4 million loss in Q1 2025, indicating increased financial pressure during commercialization that could impact future financing capabilities.
- Cash Reserves Decline: As of March 31, 2026, the company's cash and short-term investments decreased to $580.8 million from $667.2 million at the end of 2025, highlighting financial strain from operational and R&D expenditures that may limit future expansion plans.
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- Disappointing Earnings: Kura Oncology reported a Q1 GAAP EPS of -$0.83, missing expectations by $0.01, indicating ongoing challenges in profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Revenue Decline: The company generated $18.26 million in revenue for Q1, falling short of the $24.92 million forecast, primarily due to collaboration revenue dropping to $12.5 million from $14.1 million year-over-year, reflecting weak market demand.
- Increased R&D Expenses: R&D expenses rose to $65.3 million compared to $56.0 million last year, driven by advancements in ziftomenib combination trials, which may offer potential breakthroughs in the long term but add financial strain in the short term.
- Cash Flow Status: As of March 31, 2026, Kura had $580.8 million in cash and short-term investments, down from $667.2 million at the end of 2025; while the anticipated $180 million from the collaboration with Kyowa Kirin is expected to support future clinical trials, careful cash management is essential.
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- Clinical Trial Highlights: Kura Oncology will present data from 99 patients with newly diagnosed NPM1-mutant or KMT2A-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at the 2026 European Hematology Association Congress, showcasing a complete response rate of up to 96% and over 80% deep molecular negativity, providing new hope for AML treatment.
- Durability of Efficacy: With a median follow-up of approximately 15 months for NPM1-mutant patients, the median duration of complete response has not yet been reached, indicating the potential for long-term efficacy that could redefine treatment standards for AML.
- FDA Accelerated Review Prospects: The ongoing Phase 3 KOMET-017 trial is currently enrolling patients, with the potential for accelerated FDA review in 2028, which could positively impact Kura Oncology's market outlook and expedite the introduction of new therapies.
- Virtual Investor Call: Kura will host a virtual investor call on June 3 to discuss the latest developments from the KOMET-007 study, further enhancing investor confidence in the company's future growth.
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