On November 20, 2024, Kura Oncology, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, and Kyowa Kirin Co., a Japan-based global specialty pharmaceutical company, announced that they have entered into a global strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize ziftomenib, Kura’s selective oral menin inhibitor that is being investigated for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other hematologic malignancies. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Kura on the transaction and has advised the company on IP matters since its founding in 2014.

Under the terms of the agreement, Kura will receive an upfront payment of $330 million and expects to receive up to $420 million in near-term milestone payments, including a payment upon the launch of ziftomenib in the monotherapy relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting. In addition, Kura is eligible to receive additional development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments of $741 million, totaling up to $1.161 billion in payments for milestones and the opt-in for solid tumor indications.

In the U.S., Kura will lead development, regulatory, and commercial strategy and be responsible for manufacturing ziftomenib. The companies will jointly perform commercialization activities in accordance with a co-created U.S. territory commercialization plan and will share equally in any potential profits and losses. Outside the U.S., Kyowa Kirin will lead development, regulatory, and commercial strategy and is responsible for commercializing ziftomenib. Kura will be eligible to receive tiered double-digit royalties on net product sales.

The Wilson Sonsini team advising Kura on IP matters since 2014 and also on this transaction included Karen Wong, Ingo Hardt, Aaron Hendelman, Jim Malecha, and Michael Wormald.

For more information, please see Kura’s news release.