Troy Wilson, CEO of San Diego-based Kura Oncology, on his career in biotech and developing targeted cancer drugs.

Ep204: Troy Wilson on Precision Cancer Drugs and Combos

The Long Run with Luke Timmerman

[SPEAKER_A] Welcome to The Long Run. This is a podcast for biotech adventurers. I'm your host, Luke Timmerman.

[SPEAKER_B] Today's guest is Troy Wilson. Troy is the co-founder and CEO of San Diego-based Kura Oncology. The company, founded in 2014, has gone all the way through R&D to develop its own novel cancer drug.

[SPEAKER_A] It's called ziftomenib, brand name Kymzifty.

[SPEAKER_B] It's an oral pill that inhibits a target called Menin. Ziftamened was approved by the FDA back in November of 2025, initially for a small set of patients with acute myeloid leukemia that have specific genetic alterations such as NPM1 mutations or KMT2A rearrangements. Now, this is the start. Kura hopes to demonstrate that the drug will help a broader group of patients with AML. And it's a notoriously tough-to-treat cancer. Not many biotech startup companies get this far. And go all the way through the R&D gauntlet. Kura is hopeful that lightning will hit a second time with another drug called Darlifarnib. It's a farnesyl transferase inhibitor, FTI. Scientists at the company believe that this entire class of FTI medicines, once written off as a pharma graveyard, is due for a comeback, especially as it logically ought to complement the new breakthrough RAS inhibitor, Deraxon Rasib, from Revolution Medicines. Troy arrives at this auspicious moment at Kura and in cancer R&D after a long and distinguished career. He co-founded 3 previous companies that ended up being acquired: Intelekine, a PI3 kinase inhibitor company; Ambrix, a developer of antibody-drug conjugates; and Avidity Biosciences, the developer of antibody oligonucleotide conjugates for rare muscular diseases. These experiences have made him a leading figure in the San Diego biotech community and one of the industry's most successful serial entrepreneurs.

Ep204: Troy Wilson on Precision Cancer Drugs and Combos

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

Ep204: Troy Wilson on Precision Cancer Drugs and Combos

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.