Kura Oncology Reports Preclinical Data Highlighting Synergistic Activity of Menin Inhibitor KO-539 in Combination with Venetoclax
Former TAP Partner (University of Michigan Licensee)
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 13, 2021 - 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 presentation of new preclinical data for KO-539, the Company’s oral, potent and selective menin inhibitor, and its potential for synergistic activity in combination with venetoclax, a current standard of care in the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The new findings, generated through a research collaboration with Dr. Kapil Bhalla at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, are being presented during a poster session today at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual meeting in Atlanta.
KO-539 has previously been shown to disrupt the menin-KMT2A/MLL protein-protein interaction, inducing differentiation and potent anti-leukemic activity in genetically defined preclinical models of AML. The new preclinical data confirm that treatment with KO-539 drives dose-dependent induction of growth inhibition, differentiation and loss of viability of AML cells with KMT2A rearrangements or NPM1 mutations, while also reducing key protein levels such as MEIS1, FLT3 and BCL2 and menin itself.
In addition, the new findings show that co-treatment with KO-539 and the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax induces synergistic activity in patient-derived AML cells expressing KMT2A rearrangements or NPM1 mutations, with or without mutant FLT3 expression, and prolongs survival in an aggressive disseminated model of KMT2A-rearranged, FLT3-mutant AML.