Education
About Us
Working with TipRanks
Follow Us
Kura Oncology (KURA)
NASDAQ:KURA
Top Page
Kura Oncology
(NASDAQ:KURA)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:52Neutral
Price Target:
$8.50
▲(1.31% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/06/26
The score is held back primarily by weak financial performance (widening losses, equity erosion, and renewed cash burn). The latest earnings call was a meaningful positive due to FDA approval, early launch/access traction, patent durability, and stated funding visibility, but technical signals are mixed and valuation is constrained by ongoing losses.
Positive Factors
FDA approval of KOMZIFTI
Regulatory approval converts Kura from a pure clinical-stage developer to a commercial-stage company. This validates the lead program, enables recurring product revenues and partner milestones, and materially reduces binary regulatory risk as the firm builds a sustainable commercialization infrastructure.
Pro forma cash runway
A pro forma cash balance of ~$609.7M through 2027 gives Kura structural runway to complete Phase III trials, fund early commercial launch activities, and invest in label-expansion studies without immediate financing. That liquidity materially lowers near-term dilution risk and preserves strategic optionality.
Low leverage
Very low debt and a ~0.06 debt/equity ratio reduce refinancing and interest-service risk, giving Kura flexibility to allocate capital to R&D and commercialization. For a biotech scaling into product sales, limited leverage preserves balance-sheet resilience through development and launch cycles.
Negative Factors
Persistent operating losses
Large and recurring operating deficits reflect continued high R&D and SG&A spending. Persistent losses erode capital over time, increase reliance on external funding or milestone receipts, and create a structural dilution or liquidity risk if commercial uptake or additional partner payments underperform expectations.
Eroding shareholders' equity
A significant decline in equity indicates accumulated losses and possible prior financing impacts. A smaller equity cushion limits the company's ability to absorb clinical, commercial, or market setbacks and raises the probability of future equity raises that could dilute existing shareholders and constrain strategic flexibility.
Revenue concentration on milestones
Historically, Kura has relied on equity financings and collaboration/milestone payments rather than durable product revenues. This structural dependence means cash flow is contingent on partner milestones and the commercial success of a newly approved single product, exposing the company to revenue volatility if uptake lags.
Kura Oncology (KURA) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$741.09M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)1.53M
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)1.36
Revenue GrowthN/A
EPS Growth-5.18%
CountryUS
Employees192
SectorHealthcare
Sector Strength45
IndustryBiotechnology
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)-0.92
Shares Outstanding88,329,760
10 Day Avg. Volume1,786,117
30 Day Avg. Volume1,528,801
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.06
Price to Book (P/B)5.23
Price to Sales (P/S)13.50
P/FCF Ratio-12.89
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.83
Enterprise Value/Revenue9.10
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit9.62
Enterprise Value/Ebitda-2.12
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$28.14Price Target Upside235.40% Upside
Rating ConsensusStrong Buy
Number of Analyst Covering9
EPS Forecast (FY)-3.52
Revenue Forecast (FY)$118.28M
Kura Oncology Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company DescriptionKura Oncology, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops medicines for the treatment of cancer in the United States. The company's pipeline consists of small molecule product candidates that target cancer. Its lead product candidates are ziftomenib, a small molecule inhibitor of the menin-Lysine K-specific Methyltransferase 2A protein-protein interaction for the treatment of genetically defined subsets of acute leukemias, including acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia; and tipifarnib, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of farnesyl transferase that is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors and hematologic indications. The company has a clinical collaboration with Novartis to evaluate the combination of tipifarnib and alpelisib in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma whose tumors have HRAS overexpression or PIK3CA mutation and/or amplification. Kura Oncology, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyKura Oncology generates revenue primarily through the development and commercialization of its proprietary drug candidates. The company finances its operations through public offerings, partnerships, and collaborations with other pharmaceutical companies. Kura's earnings are significantly influenced by milestone payments and potential royalties from licensing agreements as its drug candidates progress through clinical trials and, if successful, receive regulatory approval. Additionally, the company may engage in strategic partnerships to co-develop or out-license its therapies, which can provide upfront payments and shared revenue streams from eventual product sales.
Kura Oncology Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Mar 05, 2026
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 30, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presents a predominantly positive commercial and clinical story: FDA approval, immediate product shipments, rapid payer coverage (~84% of private payers within 90 days), beneficial payer step edits, patent protection to 2044, robust sales force deployment, and multiple near‑term clinical catalysts across AML and the FTI program. Financially, the company is investing heavily in commercialization and development, which widened operating losses and reduced collaboration revenue year-over-year; cash remains substantial (~$667M) with anticipated milestone support through top-line Phase 3 readout in 2028. Overall, strengths in launch execution, access, patent protection, and a data-rich development plan outweigh near‑term financial pressures and uncertainties around duration of therapy and reliance on milestone timing.Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
FDA Approval and Commercial Launch of Comzifty
Comzifty received FDA approval and generated $2.1 million in net product revenue in the final weeks of 2025. The product was shipped within days of approval and the experienced sales force was fully deployed targeting >4,000 hematology professionals.
Strong Early Payer and Access Traction
Kura engaged payers covering ~90% of insured lives prior to approval; within 90 days ~84% of private payers established coverage aligned with the label without additional restrictions. Certain Blue plans have implemented step edits requiring Comzifty before the competitor.
Rapid Institutional Endorsement and Distribution Efficiency
Comzifty was added to the NCCN Guidelines as a Category 2A recommendation within a week of submission. Distribution through specialty networks and KuraRx Connect yields an average 2-day time from prescription to payer decision.
Long-Term Patent Protection
Comzifty was listed in the FDA Orange Book with patent protection through July 2044, strengthening long-term franchise value.
Clear Market and Pricing Differentiation Signals
Management estimates the initial U.S. relapsed/refractory NPM1 market at $350M–$400M and the broader AML opportunity at ~ $7B. Independent payer analysis cited Comzifty's predictable cost (annual WAC just under ~$600k) versus competitor pricing near ~$1M/year (≈40% lower price), plus a simpler safety and dosing profile—key drivers for early payer treatment-path decisions.
Multiple Near-Term Clinical Catalysts and Pipeline Progress
Enrollment underway in pivotal COMET-017 frontline trials (~200 global sites). Planned 2026 readouts include updated COMET-007 intensive chemotherapy data, relapsed/refractory ziftomenib+venetoclax manuscript, gilteritinib combination data in H2 2026, and multiple updates for the FTI program (darlafarnib) including Phase 1b initiation with cabozantinib and planned 2026 presentations for darlafarnib+adagrasib.
Commercial Validation via Milestones and Recent Receipts
First commercial sale triggered a $135M milestone under the Kyowa Kirin collaboration; Q4 receipts included $195M tied to the first commercial sale and COMET-017 enrollment milestones, materially contributing to year-end cash.
Substantial Year-End Cash Position and Funding Visibility
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments were $667.2M as of 12/31/2025. Management expects anticipated milestones of $180M under the Kyowa Kirin collaboration, together with current cash, to fund the ziftomenib AML program through first top-line Phase 3 results from COMET-017 (anticipated 2028). Collaboration revenue guidance (non-cash recognition) is $45M–$55M in 2026 and $90M–$110M in both 2027 and 2028.
Negative Updates
Sharp Decline in Collaboration Revenue
Collaboration revenue from the Kyowa Kirin partnership fell to $15.2M in 2025 from $53.9M in 2024, a decrease of $38.7M or ~71.8%, reflecting timing and non-cash accounting recognition dynamics.
Significantly Wider Net Loss
Net loss increased to $81.0M in 2025 from $19.2M in 2024, widening by $61.8M (≈321.9% increase), driven by commercialization costs and higher operating expenses.
Rising Operating Expenses
R&D expenses rose to $64.4M (from $52.3M), an increase of $12.1M or ~23.2%, driven by combination trials and COMET-017 start. SG&A increased to $39.1M (from $24.1M), up $15.0M or ~62.2%, driven by the commercial launch.
Year‑End Cash Decline vs Prior Year
Cash and short-term investments decreased to $667.2M as of 12/31/2025 from $727.4M as of 12/31/2024, a reduction of $60.2M (~8.3%), highlighting burn from operations despite milestone receipts.
Early-Stage Commercial Revenue and Uncertain Duration of Therapy
Comzifty revenue is currently limited ($2.1M in final weeks of 2025) with limited follow-up; management notes typical expected treatment averaging ~6 months and early observed duration of response ~5 months, but duration and long-term uptake (especially in combinations) remain uncertain.
Dependence on Milestone and Collaboration Accounting
A portion of near-term financial footing relies on milestone receipts and non-cash-based collaboration revenue recognition with Kyowa Kirin; timing and accounting recognition introduce variability and uncertainty in near-term reported revenue.
Company Guidance
Kura’s explicit financial guidance centered on collaboration revenue of $45–55M in 2026, $90–110M in 2027, and $90–110M in 2028, and the company said its cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $667.2M as of 12/31/2025 (down from $727.4M a year earlier) and that current cash plus anticipated Kyowa Kirin milestones of $180M are expected to fund the ziftomenib AML program through the first top-line Phase 3 results from COMET‑017 (anticipated in 2028); Q4 2025 receipts included $195M tied to the first commercial sale and COMET‑017 enrollment milestones. Additional relevant metrics discussed on the call included Comzifty net product revenue of $2.1M in the final weeks of 2025, a $135M milestone triggered by the first commercial sale, estimated U.S. TAM of ~$7B across relapsed/refractory and frontline AML with an initial NPM1 relapsed/refractory market of ~$350–400M, payer access engagement covering ~90% of insured lives pre-approval and ~84% of private payers establishing label-aligned coverage within 90 days, a two‑day average from prescription to payer decision via KuraRx Connect, and patent protection through July 2044.Kura Oncology Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Early revenue traction and near-100% gross margin are positives, and leverage is low. However, operating and net losses widened sharply in 2025, equity declined materially, and operating/free cash flow turned negative again, increasing funding/runway risk despite a substantial cash balance.Income Statement
Revenue has emerged but remains volatile: annual revenue rose from essentially zero in 2022–2023 to $53.9M in 2024 and $67.5M in 2025, but 2025 shows a sharp decline in growth (-35.1%). Profitability is very weak despite near-100% gross margin: operating losses widened materially (EBIT of -$193.2M in 2024 to -$303.6M in 2025) and net losses expanded (-$174.0M to -$278.7M), indicating a rapidly rising cost base versus revenue.22
Negative
Balance Sheet
Leverage is low and manageable, with debt-to-equity staying modest (about 0.04 in 2024 and 0.06 in 2025), which limits balance-sheet risk. However, equity has fallen sharply (from ~$413.6M in 2024 to ~$174.1M in 2025) while losses remain large, and returns on equity are deeply negative (around -160% in 2025), highlighting ongoing capital erosion and reliance on continued funding over time.58
Neutral
Cash Flow
Cash generation is inconsistent and recently deteriorated: operating cash flow swung from +$134.3M in 2024 to -$64.1M in 2025, and free cash flow fell to -$70.7M in 2025 (with a large negative growth rate). While cash burn is not extreme relative to the net loss in 2025 (free cash flow is roughly in line with net income in magnitude), the return to negative operating and free cash flow raises runway and funding-risk concerns if the pattern persists.33
Negative
| Breakdown | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 67.48M | 53.88M | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Gross Profit | 67.42M | 53.88M | -849.00K | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| EBITDA | -303.63M | -169.50M | -150.23M | -134.85M | -129.49M |
| Net Income | -278.67M | -173.98M | -152.63M | -135.84M | -130.47M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 738.36M | 760.16M | 448.94M | 456.31M | 534.05M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 667.24M | 727.39M | 423.96M | 437.99M | 517.96M |
| Total Debt | 20.46M | 16.59M | 17.20M | 14.02M | 6.88M |
| Total Liabilities | 564.23M | 346.52M | 51.66M | 36.03M | 27.44M |
| Stockholders Equity | 174.13M | 413.64M | 397.27M | 420.28M | 506.61M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | -70.70M | 133.84M | -124.99M | -110.69M | -105.70M |
| Operating Cash Flow | -64.06M | 134.32M | -124.82M | -110.06M | -104.55M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -13.10M | -101.59M | 15.56M | 32.63M | -126.83M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 1.79M | 154.42M | 94.78M | 38.56M | -3.44M |
Kura Oncology Technical Analysis
Negative
8.39
Price Trends
8.61
Negative
9.66
Negative
8.52
Negative
Market Momentum
0.03
Positive
43.54
Neutral
36.33
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KURA, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 8.39 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 8.70, below the 50-day MA of 8.61, and below the 200-day MA of 8.52, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of 0.03 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 43.54 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 36.33 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for KURA.
Kura Oncology Risk Analysis
Kura Oncology disclosed 73 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Kura Oncology reported the most risks in the "Tech & Innovation" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Kura Oncology Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
59 Neutral | $1.08B | -25.24 | -14.83% | ― | 2147.20% | -269.99% | |
58 Neutral | $2.05B | -13.06 | -34.75% | ― | ― | -17.01% | |
57 Neutral | $215.91M | 8.71 | 14.25% | ― | 37798.31% | ― | |
55 Neutral | $2.02B | -13.11 | -23.05% | ― | ― | 63.85% | |
52 Neutral | $741.09M | -3.27 | -102.59% | ― | ― | -5.18% | |
51 Neutral | $7.86B | -0.30 | -43.30% | 2.27% | 22.53% | -2.21% | |
50 Neutral | $863.63M | -5.47 | 55.14% | ― | 460.30% | 33.03% |
* Healthcare Sector Average
KURA
Kura Oncology
8.39
1.12
15.41%
ORKA
Oruka Therapeutics
40.80
29.17
250.82%
PHAT
Phathom Pharmaceuticals
10.96
4.88
80.26%
KROS
Keros Therapeutics
10.95
-0.47
-4.12%
TYRA
Tyra Bioscience
38.05
26.89
240.95%
SEPN
Septerna, Inc.
24.11
17.56
268.09%
Kura Oncology Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Kura Oncology Tightens Governance with Amended Bylaws
Neutral
Jan 29, 2026
On January 28, 2026, Kura Oncology’s board adopted amended and restated bylaws that significantly revise the company’s corporate governance framework, particularly around shareholder meetings, director nominations, and stockholder proposals. The changes tighten and clarify advance notice and disclosure requirements for shareholders seeking to nominate directors or bring other business before annual and special meetings, incorporate universal proxy rules, and require shareholders soliciting proxies to use a proxy card color other than white. The amended bylaws also adjust quorum and voting standards to focus on voting power and votes cast, refine procedures for postponing, rescheduling and adjourning stockholder meetings, and update notice and stockholder list practices to align with current Delaware corporate law. Further amendments expand and clarify indemnification and expense advancement protections for directors and officers, enhance the board’s flexibility on committee quorum and officer removal, and strengthen forum selection provisions, collectively reinforcing the company’s control over corporate procedures and potentially affecting how activists and other shareholders engage with its governance processes.
The most recent analyst rating on (KURA) stock is a Hold with a $9.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Kura Oncology stock, see the KURA Stock Forecast page.
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.