Precision Cancer Drugs and Combos: Troy Wilson on The Long Run

Troy Wilson is today’s guest on The Long Run.

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. It’s called ziftomenib (brand name Komzifti). It’s an oral pill that inhibits a target called menin. Ziftomenib was approved by the FDA in November 2025, initially for a small set of patients with acute myeloid leukemia who have specific genetic alterations such as NPM1 mutations or KMT2A rearrangements.

Troy Wilson, CEO, Kura Oncology

This is the start. Kura hopes to demonstrate the drug can help a broader group of patients with AML – a notoriously tough to treat cancer.

Not many biotech startup companies make it all the way through the R&D gauntlet to develop an FDA approved medicine. Kura is also hopeful lightning will hit twice, with another drug called darlifarnib. It’s a farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI) inhibitor. Scientists at the company believe 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, daraxonrasib, from Revolution Medicines.

Troy arrives at this auspicious moment in cancer R&D after a long and distinguished career. He co-founded three previous companies that ended up being successfully acquired – Intellikine, a PI3kinase inhibitor company acquired by Takeda; Ambrx, a developer of antibody-drug conjugates acquired by Johnson & Johnson; and Avidity Biosciences, the developer of antibody oligonucleotide conjugates for rare muscular diseases acquired by Novartis.

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Now please enjoy this conversation with Troy Wilson on The Long Run.