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Kura Oncology Reports Preclinical Data Supporting Use of Tipifarnib to Prevent Emergence of Resistance to Osimertinib in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
– Late-breaking presentation at AACR demonstrates potential to significantly delay onset of drug resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies through combination
About this update from Kura Oncology, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"– Late-breaking presentation at AACR demonstrates potential to significantly delay onset of drug resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies through combination with a farnesyl transferase inhibitor – – Company to initiate clinical trial of tipifarnib in combination with osimertinib in NSCLC in the third quarter of 2022 – – IND for KO-2806, a next-generation farnesyl transferase inhibitor, remains on track for submission in the fourth quarter of 2022 – SAN DIEGO, April 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, today reported preclinical data supporting the potential of its farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI) tipifarnib to prevent emergence of resistance to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor osimertinib in EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The new findings, generated through a collaboration with INSERM (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research), are being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in New Orleans. A copy of the poster, entitled “Tipifarnib prevents emergence of resistance to osimertinib in EGFR mutant NSCLC,” is available at www.kuraoncology.com. A copy of the manuscript is also available at www.biorxiv.org while it undergoes scientific peer-review for publication. Using Rho-pathway inhibitor screening, researchers at INSERM found that tipifarnib induced a complete clearance of drug-tolerant dormant cells, a potential mechanism of resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy in NSCLC. Several farnesylated targets were identified that appear to control the ability of tumor cells to enter and exit a drug-tolerant state. In parallel, using preclinical in vivo models of EGFR-mutated lung tumors, co-treatment with tipifarnib durably prevented relapse to osimertinib for up to six months, with no evidence of toxicity. Collectively, this mechanistic and translational research strongly supports the potential use of a FTI to prevent or delay the adaptive response to osimertinib in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC. “These preclinical data, combined with our own translational research, support the potential use of tipifarnib in combination with osimertinib to effectively and durably prevent r...