Tipifarnib is a small molecule commercialized by Kura Oncology, with a leading Phase III program in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas (PTCL). According to Globaldata, it is involved in 55 clinical trials, of which 44 were completed, 7 are ongoing, and 4 were terminated. GlobalData uses proprietary data and analytics to provide a complete picture of Tipifarnib’s valuation in its risk-adjusted NPV model (rNPV). Buy the model here.

The revenue for Tipifarnib is expected to reach an annual total of $161 mn by 2034 in the US based off GlobalData’s Expiry Model. The drug’s revenue forecasts along with estimated costs are used to measure the value of an investment opportunity in that drug, otherwise known as net present value (NPV). Applying the drug’s phase transition success rate to remaining R&D costs and likelihood of approval (LoA) to sales related costs provides a risk-adjusted NPV model (rNPV). The rNPV model is a more conservative valuation measure that accounts for the risk of a drug in clinical development failing to progress.

Tipifarnib Overview

Tipifarnib (Zarnestra) is under development for the treatment of solid tumors such as non-small cell lung cancer, salivary gland cancer, recurrent head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma including oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, or unknown primary), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, thyroid/solid tumors with HRAS mutations, follicular T-cell lymphoma (FTCL), relapsed/refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL), extranodal natural killer T-cell lymphoma, lower risk myelodysplastic syndrome, undifferentiated myeloproliferative disorders, chronic myelocytic leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and HRAS mutant urothelial cancer. The drug candidate is administered orally. It is a nonpeptidomimetic quinolinone. Tipifarnib is an inhibitor of farnesylation, a key cell signaling process implicated in cancer initiation and development.

It was also under development for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, advanced pancreatic cancer, higher risk myelodysplastic syndrome, breast cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, relapsed /refractory lymphomas including diffuse large b-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, sezary syndrome , Hodgkin lymphoma, mycosis fungoides, extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue or malt-lymphoma),nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, splenic marginal zone b-cell lymphoma,refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation and anaplastic large cell lymphoma and Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) infections.

Kura Oncology Overview

Kura Oncology is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops therapeutics for the treatment of solid tumors and blood cancers. The company’s lead drug candidate Tipifarnib, an inhibitor of farnesyl transferase, an oral investigational drug candidate intended for the treatment of various types of cancer including HRAS mutant head and neck cancer, peripheral T-cell lymphomas, myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Its other candidates include KO-947, an investigational drug candidate for mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway tumors and KO-539, a small molecule inhibitor for the treatment of acute leukemia. Kura Oncology is headquartered in San Diego, California, the US.

The operating loss of the company was US$131.5 million in FY2021, compared to an operating loss of US$91.9 million in FY2020. The net loss of the company was US$130.5 million in FY2021, compared to a net loss of US$89.6 million in FY2020.

For a complete picture of Tipifarnib’s valuation, buy the drug’s risk-adjusted NPV model (rNPV) here.

GlobalData

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

To create this model, GlobalData takes into account factors including patent law, known and projected regulatory approval processes, cash flows, drug margins and company expenses. Combining these data points with GlobalData’s world class analysis creates high value models that companies can use to help in evaluation processes for each drug or company.

The rNPV method integrates the probability of a drug reaching a clinical stage into the cash flow at that time, which provides a more accurate valuation, as it considers the probability that the drug never makes it through the clinical pathway to commercialization. GlobalData’s rNPV model uses proprietary likelihood of approval (LoA) and phase transition success rate (PTSR) data for the indication in the highest development stage, which can be found on GlobalData’s Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center.