Exhibit 99.1
Kura Oncology Announces Appointment of
Kathleen Ford As Chief Operating Officer
– Appointment enhances leadership team with focus on strategic planning and operational execution –
SAN DIEGO, August 12, 2019 – Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, today announced the appointment of Kathleen Ford as Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Ms. Ford replaces John Farnam, who is stepping down from his position to pursue other interests.
“We are very fortunate to have recruited an operations veteran with Kathy’s experience to Kura at a time when strategic prioritization and operational execution are among our highest priorities,” said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. “Kathy is recognized as a transformational leader who has successfully built and managed clinical operations organizations around the globe. She is a strong, inspirational leader who can help ensure that all functions are working together to accomplish our strategic goals. With three wholly-owned, clinical-stage oncology drug candidates, and our focus on execution across our development-stage pipeline, her addition to our leadership team is well timed. And, while we welcome Kathy, I would also like to thank John for his contributions to Kura. He brought a level of rigor to our planning, decision-making and communication that will continue to benefit the company, and we wish him well in the future.”
Ms. Ford joins Kura with more than 30 years of biopharmaceutical experience supporting pipeline development. She was most recently Senior Vice President, Head of Global Clinical Operations, at Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, where she led clinical and development operations toward successful drug registrations in both the U.S. and Europe. Previously, she served in roles of increasing responsibility at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, most recently as Vice President, Clinical Operations, where she led the global operational management of clinical trial activities in all phases of development. Prior to that, she served as Director of Clinical Operations at Alkermes, where she managed the clinical development for two product approvals. Ms. Ford earned her RN from Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing and her BSN from Fitchburg State College.
“I’m delighted to be joining Kura at such a critical stage in the company’s evolution,” said Ms. Ford. “When considering the opportunity, I was impressed by the team and its thoughtful approach to precision medicine. With one registration-directed study underway and the potential for greater depth and breadth across the pipeline, I’m excited by the prospect of helping to bring new treatments to cancer patients in need.”
