SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics
(Nasdaq: NKTR) today announced five preclinical data presentations
for its immuno-oncology programs made at the American Association
for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2017. The
presentations featured new preclinical data on NKTR-214, the
Company's immuno-stimulatory CD122-biased agonist, as well as on
NKTR-255, the Company's IL-15 therapeutic candidate.
Stephen Doberstein, Ph.D.,
Nektar's Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer
commented, "The preclinical studies presented at AACR by both
Nektar scientists and our academic collaborators highlight the
unique mechanistic profiles of Nektar's two novel cytokine
therapies, NKTR-214 and NKTR-255, including their ability to
stimulate multiple cancer-killing CD8+ T cell subtypes within the
tumor micro-environment. These data showcase how Nektar's
technology can be leveraged to target the IL-2 and IL-15 pathways
in new ways in order to stimulate the body's immune system to fight
cancer."
NKTR-214 is a CD122-biased agonist designed to grow specific
cancer-killing T cells and natural killer (NK) cell populations in
the body which fight cancer, which are known as endogenous
tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). NKTR-214 stimulates these
cancer-killing immune cells in the body by targeting CD122 specific
receptors found on the surface of these cancer-killing immune
cells, known as CD8+ effector T cells and Natural Killer (NK)
cells. NKTR-214 is currently in Phase 1/2 clinical development.
NKTR-255 is a memory T cell stimulating cytokine designed to
engage the IL-15 pathway to induce long-term T cell activation and
improve the quality of T cell memory response to treat cancer.
Through optimal engagement of the IL-15Rα/IL-2Rγ receptor complex,
NKTR-255 stimulates proliferation and survival of CD8+ T cells,
natural killer (NK) cells and enhances formation of long-term
immunological memory which may lead to sustained anti-tumor immune
response.
Details of the five preclinical presentations made at AACR are
as follows:
Presenter: Seema Nagpal, M.D.,
Stanford University, Department of
Neurology
Abstract 1598/Poster 6: "Single agent NKTR-214, an engineered
IL2 pathway agonist, localizes in tumor tissue, increases immune
infiltrates and prolongs survival in rodent (rattus) glioblastoma
(GBM)"
Session: Cytokines: The First Modern Immunotherapies
- NKTR-214 single agent provides durable responses as a single
agent in an aggressive orthotopic rat brain tumor model.
- Treatment of even very large tumors is effective with NKTR-214,
prolonging survival in a significant proportion of animals; CD8+ T
cells infiltrate into the brain tumors after NKTR-214 therapy.
- The marked increase in survival in this aggressive rodent brain
tumor model after treatment with single agent NKTR-214 suggests its
potential benefit for the treatment of human malignant glioma.
Presenter: Michael J. McNamara,
Ph.D., Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Portland
Medical Center
Abstract 1604/Poster 12: "NKTR-214 Synergizes with Radiotherapy
to Drive Tumor Regression"
Session: Cytokines: The First Modern Immunotherapies
- NKTR-214 combines positively with radiation therapy which is a
standard of care for multiple tumor types and is a readily
available therapy.
- Gene expression patterns reveal a strong T cell activation
signature including up-regulation of tumor-killing granzymes and
perforins.
- Combined therapy increased the frequency of tumor-reactive CD8
T cells in the target (irradiated) tumors as measured by increased
TCR ligation (Nur77-GFP+) and AH1-A5 tetramer staining.
Presenter: Giulia Parisi, Ph.D.,
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology,
University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA)
Abstract 2671/Poster 30: "Antitumor activity of NKTR-214 in
combination with Adopted Cell Transfer (ACT) in an aggressive
murine melanoma"
Session: Immune Response to Hematopoietic Tumors: New Development
in Tumor Immunology
- NKTR-214 improves the antitumor activity of adoptive cellular
therapy in an aggressive murine melanoma model.
- Treatment with NKTR-214 + ACT robustly mobilizes T cells into
the tumor where they durably persist.
- The robust and long-lasting effect of NKTR-214 supports its
potential use in combination with cell-based therapeutics.
Presenter: Samira Khalili, Ph.D.,
Nektar Therapeutics
Abstract 1617/Poster 25: "Mechanistic modeling of the
pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and receptor pharmacology of
NKTR-214: A kinetically-controlled CD122 agonist for cancer
immunotherapy"
Session: Cytokines: The First Modern Immunotherapies
- NKTR-214 significantly favors occupancy at IL-2 receptor βγ
compared to the IL-2 receptor αβγ.
- NKTR-214 delivers a controlled, sustained, and biased signal
through the IL-2 receptor complex.
Presenter: Peiwen Kuo, Ph.D.,
Nektar Therapeutics
Abstract 1603/Poster 11: "NKTR-255 engages the IL-15 pathway
driving CD8 T cell survival and CD8 memory T cell
proliferation"
Session: Cytokines: The First Modern Immunotherapies
- NKTR-255 induces multiple memory CD8+ T cell subtypes,
including effector, central and stem memory populations.
- Single dose NKTR-255 results in sustained IL-15-mediated
activity not achievable with conventional IL-15.
- NKTR-255 has single agent efficacy in the CT-26 lung
metastatic model, demonstrating significant lung nodule
inhibition.
About Nektar Therapeutics
Nektar Therapeutics is a research-based development stage
biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover and develop
innovative medicines to address the unmet medical needs of
patients. Our R&D pipeline of new investigational medicines
includes treatments for cancer, auto-immune disease and chronic
pain. We leverage Nektar's proprietary and proven chemistry
platform in the discovery and design of our new therapeutic
candidates. Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional
operations in Huntsville, Alabama
and Hyderabad, India. Further
information about the company and its drug development programs and
capabilities may be found online at http://www.nektar.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which can
be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan,"
"expect," "believe," "should," "may," "will" and similar references
to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include,
among others, statements we make regarding how the mechanistic
profiles of NKTR-214 and NKTR-255 can be leveraged into a potential
therapeutic benefit for cancer patients, the ability of preclinical
results to predict clinical outcomes, and the future clinical
development plans for NKTR-214 and NKTR-255. Forward-looking
statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future
performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs,
expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business,
future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the
economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking
statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent
uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are
difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control.
Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in
the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on
any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that
could cause our actual results to differ materially from those
indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others:
(i) clinical study outcomes, including Phase 1/2 clinical studies
of NKTR-214, remain very unpredictable and it is possible that a
clinical study could fail due to efficacy, safety or other
important clinical findings; (ii) statements regarding the
therapeutic potential of NKTR-255 are based on preclinical findings
and observations and there are substantial risks that can
unexpectedly occur for numerous reasons including negative findings
obtained in future preclinical and clinical testing; (iii)
scientific discovery of new medical breakthroughs is an inherently
uncertain process and the future success of drug candidates such as
NKTR-214 and NKTR-255 is therefore very uncertain and unpredictable
and one or more research and development programs could fail; (iv)
Nektar's patent applications for NKTR-214 and NKTR-255 may not
issue in one or more jurisdictions, patents that have issued may
not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses
from third parties may be required in the future; (v) the outcome
of any existing or future intellectual property or other litigation
related to Nektar's proprietary product candidates, including,
without limitation, NKTR-214 and NKTR-255, is unpredictable and
could have a material adverse effect on our business; and (vi)
certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in
Nektar's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2016 filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2017. Any
forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based
only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of
the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update
any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be
made from time to time, whether as a result of new information,
future developments or otherwise.
Contact:
For Investors:
Jennifer Ruddock of Nektar
Therapeutics
415-482-5585
Jodi Sievers of Nektar
Therapeutics
415-482-5593
For Media:
Dan Budwick of Pure
Communications
973-271-6085
dan@purecommunications.com
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