SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics
(Nasdaq: NKTR) today announced five abstracts accepted for
presentation at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American
Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which is being held from
May 31 to June 4, 2019 at the
McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois. The abstracts published in
advance of the ASCO Annual Meeting were made available at
5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time today
on the ASCO meeting website at http://www.abstract.asco.org.
"We are pleased to announce the presentation of five abstracts
for our lead I-O investigational candidate, bempegaldesleukin,
which includes important translational clinical data for the
combination of bempeg with nivolumab as well as early data from an
investigator-sponsored pilot study conducted in patients with
heavily pre-treated, rapidly progressing and refractory sarcomas,"
said Stephen Doberstein, Ph.D.,
Chief Research & Development Officer at Nektar. "We are also
highlighting several registrational trials underway for bempeg plus
nivo in patients with melanoma and RCC. We believe bempeg has a
unique and non-overlapping mechanism which synergizes with various
immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, to improve the
body's cancer-fighting immune response and potentially improve
treatment outcomes for patients with a variety of cancers."
Details of abstract presentations are as follows:
Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology
Abstract #2584/Poster Board #228*
Title: "Overcoming genetically-based resistance
mechanisms to PD-1 blockade", Torrejon, D., et al.
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A
*2019 ASCO Annual Meeting Merit Award recipient
Abstract #2623/Poster Board #267
Title: "Baseline tumor-immune signatures associated
with response to bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) and nivolumab",
Hurwitz, M., et al.
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019,
8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A
Emerging Combinations in Sarcoma Immunotherapy
Abstract #11010
Title: "Pilot study of bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214)
and nivolumab in patients with sarcomas"
Presenter: Sandra D'Angelo, M.D., Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, S100a
Details of Trials in Progress poster presentations are as
follows:
Melanoma/Skin Cancers
Abstract TPS9601/Poster Board #168b (Trials in progress
(TiP) abstract)
Title: "CA045-001: A phase III, randomized, open
label study of bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus nivolumab (NIVO)
versus NIVO monotherapy in patients (pts) with previously
untreated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma (MEL)",
Khushalani, N., et al.
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019, 1:15
p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Central
Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A
Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer
Abstract TPS4595/Poster Board #416b (Trials in progress
(TiP) abstract)
Title: "A phase III randomized open label study
comparing bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus nivolumab to sunitinib
or cabozantinib (investigator's choice) in patients with previously
untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma", Tannir, N., et
al.
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019,
1:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A
About Bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214)
Bempegaldesleukin is an investigational, first-in-class,
CD122-preferential IL-2 pathway agonist designed to provide rapid
activation and proliferation of cancer-killing immune cells, known
as CD8+ effector T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, without
over activating the immune system. Bempegaldesleukin stimulates
these cancer-killing immune cells in the body by targeting CD122
specific receptors found on the surface of these immune cells.
CD122, which is also known as the Interleukin-2 receptor beta
subunit, is a key signaling receptor that is known to increase
proliferation of these effector T cells.1 In clinical
and preclinical studies, treatment with bempegaldesleukin resulted
in expansion of these cells and mobilization into the tumor
micro-environment.2,3 Bempegaldesleukin has an
antibody-like dosing regimen similar to the existing checkpoint
inhibitor class of approved medicines.
About Nektar
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.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which can
be identified by words such as: "provide," "may," "plan,"
"designed," and similar references to future periods. Examples of
forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we
make regarding the therapeutic potential of bempegaldesleukin in
combination with nivolumab, the future development plans of
bempegaldesleukin, and the availability of results and outcomes
from our clinical and preclinical studies. 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, 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) our statements regarding the
therapeutic potential of bempegaldesleukin in combination with
nivolumab are based on current preclinical and clinical findings
and future data generated from ongoing and new studies may be
materially different; (ii) bempegaldesleukin is in early stage
development and the risk of failure remains high and failure can
unexpectedly occur at any stage for one or more of the cancer
indications being studied prior to regulatory approval due to lack
of sufficient efficacy, safety considerations or other factors that
negatively impact drug development; (iii) the timing of the
commencement and end of clinical studies and the availability of
clinical data may be delayed due to regulatory delays, slower than
anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing
standards of care, evolving regulatory requirements, clinical trial
design, or clinical outcomes; (iv) scientific discovery of new
medical breakthroughs is an inherently uncertain process and the
future regulatory approval of potential new drug candidates (such
as bempegaldesleukin) is therefore very uncertain and
unpredictable; (v) patents may not issue from our patent
applications for our drug candidates, patents that have issued may
not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses
from third parties may be required; and (vi) certain other
important risks and uncertainties set forth in Nektar's Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on May 9, 2019. 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 1AB
973-271-6085
dan@1abmedia.com
1 Boyman, J., et al., Nature Reviews Immunology,
2012, 12, 180-190.
2 Charych, D., et al., Clin
Can Res; 22(3) February 1,
2016
3 Diab, A., et al., Journal for ImmunoTherapy of
Cancer 2016, 4(Suppl 1): P369
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