Nektar, Bristol-Myers Amend Collaboration for Bempeg Plus Opdivo

By Michael Dabaie

Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY) said Friday they have agreed to a new joint development plan for bempegaldesleukin plus Opdivo, or nivolumab, in multiple new registrational trials.

With the revision to the companies' strategic collaboration agreement, Nektar and Bristol-Myers Squibb will expand the active clinical development program from three ongoing registrational trials--in first-line metastatic melanoma, first-line cisplatin-ineligible metastatic urothelial cancer and first-line metastatic renal cell carcinoma--to include two additional registrational trials in adjuvant melanoma and in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

The companies said they also will initiate a Phase 1/2 dose study to evaluate bempeg plus nivolumab in combination with axitinib in first-line RCC in order to support a future registrational trial.

The companies will share costs for these studies.

Bristol-Myers Squibb will also independently conduct and fund a Phase 1/2 dose optimization and expansion study in first-line non-small-cell lung cancer with bempeg and nivolumab.

Nektar is eligible to receive a $25.0 million milestone payment in connection with the registrational adjuvant melanoma trial, $25.0 million in connection with the registrational muscle-invasive bladder cancer trial and $75.0 million in a registrational first-line non-small-cell lung cancer trial, the companies said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Write to Michael Dabaie at michael.dabaie@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 10, 2020 07:41 ET (12:41 GMT)

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