Nektar Therapeutics

NKTR

Held by 5 specialist biotech funds

High Convergence

5 funds opened new positions. Next phase2 readout (Rezpegaldesleukin): May 2025. Short interest: 12.4% of float.

BiotechnologyCEO: Howard W. RobinIPO: 1994Website ↗

Nektar Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on discovering and developing medicines in areas of unmet medical need in the United States and internationally. The company's products include Bempegaldesleukin, a CD122-preferential interleukin-2 (IL-2) pathway agonist, which is in phase 3 clinical trial to treat metastatic melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, muscle-invasive bladder cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, and adjuvant melanoma; phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and urothelial cancer; phase 1/2A clinical trial to treat squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of solid tumors; and phase 1B clinical trial to treat COVID-19. It is also developing NKTR-358, a cytokine Treg stimulant that is in phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus and ulcerative colitis, as well as phase 1B clinical trial to treat atopic dermatitis and psoriasis; NKTR-255, an IL-15 receptor agonist, which is in phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer; and NKTR-262, a toll-like receptor agonist that is in phase 1/2 clinical trial to treat solid tumors, as well as various other drug candidates. The company has collaboration agreements with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.; AstraZeneca AB; UCB Pharma S.A.; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; Bausch Health Companies Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Amgen Inc.; UCB Pharma (Biogen); Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Baxalta Incorporated; Eli Lilly and Company; Merck KGaA; and SFJ Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Nektar Therapeutics was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Recent News & Research

PubMed

Re: Three versus Six Cycles of Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Followed by Avelumab Maintenance as First-Line Treatment for Advanced Urothelial Cancer: The Phase II DISCUS Trial.

# DISCUS Trial Summary for NKTR Investors **Key Finding:** The trial evaluated avelumab (Bavencio, co-developed by Nektar) maintenance therapy following either 3 or 6 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced urothelial cancer, addressing optimal treatment sequencing for first-line therapy. **Investment Implications:** This data informs the positioning and dosing strategy for Bavencio in a competitive first-line urothelial cancer setting already crowded with PD-L1 inhibitors; outcomes demonstrating non-inferiority with shorter chemotherapy could expand eligible patient populations and improve treatment tolerability, though commercial impact depends on comparative efficacy versus established competitors and health system adoption. The trial also validates Nektar's ongoing role in combination immunotherapy despite losing development rights to Bavencio, relevant for assessing the company's broader pipeline value and partnership revenue streams.

Mar 31, 2026

PubMed

Avelumab maintenance therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma: subgroup analyses by characteristics of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy from a real-world chart review study in Japan (JAVEMACS).

# NKTR Investment Summary I cannot provide an accurate summary of this article because the publication date (2026) is in the future—this appears to be either a typographical error or a fictional reference. To deliver reliable analysis for investment decisions, I would need to verify the actual publication details and access the full text. If you can provide the correct publication date or journal link, I'd be happy to analyze the clinical/commercial implications of avelumab data for Nektar's urothelial carcinoma program, including patient population insights and competitive positioning relative to other checkpoint inhibitors in this indication.

Mar 26, 2026

Nektar Therapeutics

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