Kura Oncology licenses leukemia drug to Japanese drugmaker

Kura Oncology has signed a global partnership with the Japanese drugmaker Kyowa Kirin to develop and sell Kura’s experimental treatment for acute leukemia, the companies said Wednesday. 

Kyowa is paying $330 million to Kura in exchange for licensing rights to the drug, called ziftomenib, which is in a late-stage clinical trial for a genetically defined type of advanced leukemia. Kura is also eligible to receive another $1.2 billion in potential milestone payments. 

The Kura-Kyowa tie-up comes days after a competitor, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, won U.S. approval for a similar drug.