– USA, CA – Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, today announced the appointment of industry veteran Dr. Helen Collins, M.D., to its board of directors.
Dr. Collins served as Chief Medical Officer at Five Prime Therapeutics, where she oversaw the development of bemarituzumab, a first-in-class anti-FGFR2b antibody for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.
“With a deep background in medical oncology/hematology and significant experience leading clinical development programs targeting cancers of high unmet need, Helen brings a valuable perspective to the board as we continue to advance our pipeline of precision medicines,” said CEO, Dr. Troy Wilson. “On behalf of Kura Oncology and our board of directors, we want to welcome her to the board and look forward to drawing upon her strategic and clinical acumen as we work to fulfill our mission of bringing new treatment options to patients.”
About Dr. Helen Collins
Dr. Collins joins the Kura board of directors with more than 25 years of medical experience. Most recently, she served as EVP and Chief Medical Officer at Five Prime Therapeutics, where she was responsible for the strategy and execution of the company’s clinical development plans until its acquisition by Amgen in April 2021. Previously, Dr. Collins held positions of increasing responsibility at Gilead Sciences, most recently as Program and Clinical Lead for Gilead’s GS-5829 and GS-4059 programs, and Amgen, most recently as Global Lead of Oncology Biosimilars. Before her career in the biopharma industry, Dr. Collins practiced as a medical oncologist/hematologist for 12 years.
“I’m pleased to join the Kura board of directors as the company continues to build on the strong foundation of its clinical and preclinical pipeline,” said Dr. Collins. “I am impressed by the preliminary data from the menin inhibitor program, KO-539, in acute myeloid leukemia, as well as the broad therapeutic potential of the tipifarnib program, and I look forward to contributing to their continued progress and success.”
She earned her M.D. from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, completing her residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and oncology fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine, and her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College.
About Kura Oncology
Kura Oncology is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer. The Company’s pipeline consists of small molecule drug candidates that target cancer signaling pathways. KO-539, a potent and selective menin inhibitor, is currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial and targeting patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia, including patients with NPM1 mutations. Tipifarnib, a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable farnesyl transferase inhibitor has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of patients with HRAS mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and is currently in a registration-directed study in patients with this devastating disease. In addition, Kura is pursuing the use of tipifarnib in combination with other oncology therapeutics to address larger genetic subsets, including patients who have HRAS and/or PIK3CA-dependent HNSCC. The Company is also developing a next-generation farnesyl transferase inhibitor, which is intended to target innovative biology and larger oncology indications through rational combinations.
For more information: https://kuraoncology.com/
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