NKTR News & Events

Nektar announced an academic research collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco, or UCSF, and Stephen Hauser, Director of the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and a neuroimmunologist whose research work has played a pivotal role in the treatment landscape for multiple sclerosis, or MS. NKTR-0165 is a novel, first-in-class tumor necrosis factor receptor 2, or TNFR2, agonist antibody. TNFR2 is highly expressed on regulatory T cells, endothelial cells, and neuronal cells, many of which are involved in the pathogenesis of MS. The collaboration with UCSF will explore the potential role of TNFR2 agonism in the reduction of neurodegeneration and promotion of neuroprotection and cell repair when neurons are exposed to patient-derived B cells. The team at UCSF will conduct and fund all research efforts. Nektar will supply NKTR-0165 and will retain all rights to its programs under the collaboration.

Nektar Therapeutics announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering of $300M of its shares of its common stock and, in lieu of common stock to certain investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of its common stock. All of the shares of common stock and pre-funded warrants to be sold in this offering are being offered by Nektar. Nektar intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, which may include research and development, clinical development - including Phase 3 trials for rezpegaldesleukin - and manufacturing costs to support the advancement of its drug candidates, as well as other general corporate purposes. Jefferies, TD Cowen, and Piper Sandler are acting as joint bookrunning managers for the offering.