Nektar Reports on Advancements with Pain and Oncology Clinical Pipeline at Investor and Analyst R&D Day

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Oct 08, 2015, 11:29 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) will present an overview of the Company's pain and oncology portfolio during an Investor and Analyst R&D Day being hosted today from 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time in New York City.

Leading experts in immuno-oncology will provide an overview of the current landscape in immuno-oncology and the need for new T-cell stimulatory agents, such as NKTR-214 and NKTR-255. For the first time, Nektar will announce new data for single-agent NKTR-214, including data in a preclinical model of Lewis Lung carcinoma. Details of the NKTR-214 Phase 1/2 clinical program and biomarker strategy will be presented. NKTR-214 is a CD122-biased immune-stimulatory cytokine designed to preferentially stimulate the production of CD8-positive T-cells. The Company will present new preclinical data for its next immuno-oncology candidate, NKTR-255, a new immune-stimulatory cytokine designed to improve T-cell memory by targeting the IL-15 pathway. The company will also discuss its new IDO inhibitor program, NKTR-218, which could increase IDO inhibition activity within the tumor micro-environment.

Pain management specialists will discuss opioid-induced constipation and new first-in-class medicine MOVANTIK™, as well as review the regulatory landscape for abuse-deterrent analgesics. New in vitro manipulation and extraction data will be presented for NKTR-181, a first-in-class, mu-opioid analgesic investigational drug candidate with a novel molecular structure designed to reduce abuse liability.

The experts will also participate in two separate panel discussions on current treatment practices and share their perspectives on the medical need for new treatment options.

"Today's presentations will highlight the significant promise of our internally discovered programs, particularly in immuno-oncology, which have the potential to drive the next stage of growth for Nektar," stated Howard W. Robin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nektar. "We are leveraging our technology to create compelling new immuno-oncology drug candidates that access new cytokine biology to expand T-cell populations and improve T-cell memory in order to train the immune system to fight cancer. In the area of pain, NKTR-181 is a new opioid molecule that represents a completely new class of pain medicine which could allow us to maintain the efficacy of traditional opioids, while potentially reducing the serious risks of misuse, abuse and diversion."

Webcast Information

The live webcast from will start at 12:30 p.m. ET and can be accessed by visiting the investor relations section of Nektar's website at http://www.nektar.com. To ensure a timely connection to the webcast, it is recommended that users register 15 minutes prior to the scheduled webcast. This webcast will be archived on Nektar's website for 30 days following the event.

About Nektar

Nektar Therapeutics has a robust R&D pipeline in pain, oncology, hemophilia and other therapeutic areas. In the area of pain, Nektar has an exclusive worldwide license agreement with AstraZeneca for MOVANTIK™ (naloxegol), the first FDA-approved once-daily oral peripherally-acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA) medication for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC), in adult patients with chronic, non-cancer pain. The product is also approved in the European Union as MOVENTIG® (naloxegol) and is indicated for adult patients with OIC who have had an inadequate response to laxatives. The AstraZeneca agreement also includes NKTR-119, an earlier stage development program that is a co-formulation of MOVANTIK and an opioid. NKTR-181, a wholly-owned mu-opioid analgesic molecule for chronic pain conditions, is in Phase 3 development. NKTR-171, a wholly-owned new sodium channel blocker being developed as an oral therapy for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, is in Phase 1 clinical development. In hemophilia, BAX 855, a longer-acting PEGylated Factor VIII therapeutic is in Phase 3 development conducted by partner Baxter. A BLA for BAX 855 was filed by Baxter to the US FDA in December, 2014 and is currently under review. In anti-infectives, Amikacin Inhale is in Phase 3 studies conducted by Bayer Healthcare as an adjunctive treatment for intubated and mechanically ventilated patients with Gram-negative pneumonia.

Nektar's technology has enabled nine approved products in the U.S. or Europe through partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca's MOVANTIK™, UCB's Cimzia® for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Roche's PEGASYS® for hepatitis C and Amgen's Neulasta® for neutropenia.

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.

MOVANTIK™ is a trademark and MOVENTIG® is a registered trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.

ADYNOVATE is a trademark of Baxalta Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements 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 the value and potential of our polymer conjugate technology and research and development pipeline. 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) scientific discovery of new medical breakthroughs is an inherently uncertain process and the future success of the application of our technology platform to potential new drug candidates is therefore highly uncertain and unpredictable and one or more research and development programs could fail; (ii) patents may not issue from our patent applications for our drugs and drug candidates, patents that have issued may not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses from third parties may be required; and (iii) the outcome of any existing or future intellectual property or other litigation related to our drugs and drug candidates and those of our collaboration partners. Other important risks and uncertainties set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2015. 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:
Investors
Jennifer Ruddock of Nektar Therapeutics
415-482-5585

Media
Nadia Hasan of WCG
212-257-6738

SOURCE Nektar Therapeutics