NKTR - Nektar cancer drug improves anti-tumor effect of CAR T drugs

Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NKTR) and its collaborators at the New York Medical College (NYMC) said on Monday that the company’s IL?15 receptor agonist NKTR-255, in combination with different CAR-T therapies, boosted the activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells in preclinical models. The data were shared in two presentations conducted at a medical meeting. One study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of NKTR-255 with anti-MCAMa CARb modified NK cells in certain tumor models. According to its findings, NKTR-255 was found to have improved the expression of NK cell-activating receptors, induced NK cell proliferation and sutained NK cell expansion, the company said. Other study looked at the effects of Burkitt Lymphoma (BL) models in response to NKTR-255 in combination with anti-CD19 CAR NK cells and anti-CD20 or anti-CD79 antibodies. Its findings indicate that NKTR-255 with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb), Obinutuzumab “significantly enhanced” the cytotoxicity of anti-CD19 CAR NK compared to the control.

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Nektar cancer drug improves anti-tumor effect of CAR T drugs