Nkarta to Participate in March Investor Conferences

On February 27, 2026 Nkarta, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat autoimmune diseases, reported its participation in the following investor conferences:

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

March 2, 2026
TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference
Boston, MA
9:10 a.m. EST – fireside chat

March 10, 2026
Leerink Global Healthcare Conference
Miami, FL
10:40 a.m. EDT – fireside chat

A simultaneous webcast of both events will be available on the Investors section of Nkarta’s website, and a replay will be archived on the website for approximately 90 days.

(Press release, Nkarta, FEB 27, 2026, View Source [SID1234663128])

Defence Therapeutics Announces Private Placement Of Units For Proceeds Of Up To $11 Million

On February 27, 2026 Defence Therapeutics Inc. ("Defence" or the "Company"), (CSE: DTC, OTCQB: DTCFF, FSE: DTC), a publicly traded biotechnology and precision intracellular drug-delivery company, reported the launch of a private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 20,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.55 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds to Defence of up to $11,000,000. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share (each, a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant ("Warrants"). Each Warrant will entitle its holder to acquire an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.65 per share for 24 months following the date of issuance.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The Company has executed a binding term sheet with two arm’s length institutional investors (collectively, the "Investors") in connection with the Private Placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $6,000,000 (CAD) (the "Investors’ Proceeds"). In connection with the Private Placement, the Investors’ Proceeds and the Units will be deposited in escrow in advance of closing pursuant to an escrow agreement (the "Escrow Agreement"). Upon closing, the Units will be released from escrow and delivered to the Investors or as they may direct, and the Investors’ Proceeds will be released from escrow and deposited as credit support pursuant to an ISDA Credit Support Annex, and released to the Company in monthly cash tranches of $333,333 (CAD) over an 18-month period (the "Term"), pursuant to the terms and conditions of a sharing agreement (the "Sharing Agreement") to be dated and executed on the closing of the Private Placement. Settlements under the Sharing Agreement shall commence five months after closing.

Pursuant to the Sharing Agreement, Shares will be released in equal monthly installments of approximately 606,060 Shares over the 18-month Term, with each release contingent upon the corresponding cash payment being delivered to the Company. The Sharing Agreement shall provide that the Company’s economic interest will be determined in 18 monthly settlement tranches as measured against a benchmark price of $0.7332 (CAD) per Share (the "Benchmark Price"). If, at the time of settlement, the settlement price (determined monthly based on a 20-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Company’s shares on the CSE) exceeds the Benchmark Price, the Company shall receive more than 100% of the monthly settlement due, on a pro rata basis, with no upper limit on additional proceeds. If the settlement price is below the Benchmark Price, the Company will receive less than 100% of the monthly settlement due, on a pro rata basis. In no event will a decline in the settlement price result in an increase in the number of Shares being issued to the Investors. As a result, the Company may ultimately receive more or materially less than the original proceeds of $6,000,000. The final amount received will depend on the Company’s future share price, which is subject to market fluctuations and may vary over time. Accordingly, there is no assurance as to the total amount the Company will receive under the Sharing Agreement.

All 10,909,091 Warrants to be issued shall be exercisable at an exercise price of $0.65 (CAD) per Share for a period of 24 months following the date of issuance. The Warrants will include an equity blocker provision that prohibits the holder from exercising any portion of the Warrants if such exercise would result in the holder owning more than 9.99% of the Company’s outstanding Shares.

The Investors will receive a corporate finance fee of $360,000 (CAD) in connection with the Sharing Agreement, payable in cash or via the issuance of 654,546 Units at the Private Placement price, at the election of the Company (the "Fee").

The Company has agreed to pay a non-refundable deposit of $65,000 (CAD)
(the "Deposit") upon receipt of approval from the CSE in connection with the Private Placement. The Deposit shall be satisfied by the issuance of 118,182 Units at the Private Placement price.

Defence intends to use the proceeds from the Private Placement to advance its Antibody Drug Conjugate ("ADC") and Radiopharmaceutical programs, to develop partnerships and for working capital purposes. The Company may pay a finder’s fee in connection with the offering to eligible arm’s-length finders in accordance with the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchanges.

Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws and in accordance with the Exchange policies, all securities issued under this Private Placement will be subject to applicable resale restrictions under applicable securities laws. The closing of the Private Placement is expected on or about March 6, 2026, subject to the approval of the CSE.

The Units described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions there from. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

(Press release, Defence Therapeutics, FEB 27, 2026, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=defence-therapeutics-announces-private-placement-of-units-for-proceeds-of-up-to-11-million [SID1234663221])

Novartis successfully completes acquisition of Avidity Biosciences, strengthening late-stage neuroscience pipeline and advancing xRNA strategy

On February 27, 2026 Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) reported that it has successfully completed its acquisition of Avidity Biosciences, Inc. ("Avidity"). With the completion of the acquisition, Avidity is now an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"Avidity’s breakthrough science combined with Novartis capabilities will help reimagine what’s possible for people with devastating genetic neuromuscular diseases," said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. "Avidity’s muscle-directed AOC platform and late-stage programs advance our RNA therapeutics and have the potential to deliver first-in-disease therapies. With the close of the acquisition, we’re excited to welcome Avidity to Novartis and accelerate this next generation of medicines."

Novartis completed the acquisition of Avidity through the merger of its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, Ajax Acquisition Sub, Inc., with and into Avidity. As a result of the merger, holders of Avidity common stock became entitled to receive USD 72.00 per share in cash, valuing the company at approximately USD 12bn on a fully diluted basis and representing an enterprise value of approximately USD 11bn. Avidity’s shares of common stock have also ceased trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC. The transaction was originally announced on Oct. 26, 2025.

(Press release, Novartis, FEB 27, 2026, View Source [SID1234663129])

Disc Medicine Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results and Provides Business Update

On February 26, 2026 Disc Medicine, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRON), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel treatments for patients suffering from serious hematologic diseases, reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2025, and provided a review of recent program and corporate developments.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"We remain confident in the bitopertin program and the Phase 3 APOLLO study. We are fully committed to working closely with the FDA to position bitopertin for approval following the completion of APOLLO at the end of the year," said John Quisel, J.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Disc. "At the same time, our broader pipeline continues to deliver meaningful momentum. DISC-0974 generated powerful data in MF anemia that further reinforces its potential to transform the treatment landscape and we look forward to providing additional updates later this year. We are also excited about DISC-3405 with first in-patient data in both polycythemia vera and sickle cell disease expected later this year."

Recent Highlights and Anticipated Milestones:

Bitopertin: GlyT1 Inhibitor (Heme Synthesis Modulator)

Received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2026 related to sufficiency of evidence of association between percent change in PPIX and sunlight exposure-based endpoints
Progressing Phase 3 APOLLO clinical trial of bitopertin in adults and adolescents with EPP, with topline data expected Q4 2026
Following completion of APOLLO, expect to submit a response to the CRL and receive an FDA decision by mid-2027
DISC-0974: Anti-Hemojuvelin Antibody (Hepcidin Suppression)

Initial data from Phase 2 RALLY-MF trial of DISC-0974 in patients with anemia of myelofibrosis (MF) presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in December
Positive, durable benefits on hemoglobin and transfusion burden in anemia of MF across a broad range of patients
Demonstrated efficacy regardless of concomitant JAK inhibitor use, setting up for utilization across all anemic MF patients
Phase 2 study in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and anemia initiated in Q1 2026 with initial data expected in 2027
DISC-3405: Anti-TMPRSS6 Antibody (Hepcidin Induction)

Progressing ongoing Phase 2 study in patients with polycythemia vera with initial data expected in 2H 2026
Initiated Phase 1b study in sickle cell disease in Q4 2025 with initial data expected in 2H 2026
Full Year 2025 Financial Results:

Cash Position: Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $791.2 million as of December 31, 2025, compared to $489.9 million as of December 31, 2024. The increase was largely due to net proceeds of $454.4 million from underwritten offerings in January and October 2025, partially offset by cash utilized in operating activities. We expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025 will be sufficient to fund operational plans into 2029.

Research and Development Expenses: R&D expenses were $170.6 million for the full year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to $96.7 million for the full year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in R&D expenses was primarily driven by the progression of Disc’s portfolio, including bitopertin’s clinical studies and drug manufacturing, the advancement of the DISC-0974 program, and increased headcount, as well as $23.0 million in payments related to the achievement of development milestones.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses: SG&A expenses were $65.4 million for the full year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to $33.0 million for the full year ended December 31, 2024. The increase in SG&A expenses was primarily due to increased headcount including establishing infrastructure to support potential commercialization.
Net Loss: Net loss was $212.2 million for the full year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to $109.4 million for the full year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher operating costs in the current period to support the continued advancement of our pipeline.

(Press release, Disc Medicine, FEB 26, 2026, View Source [SID1234663068])

Prokarium to present at the Annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress

On February 26, 2026 Prokarium’s CEO, Ibs Mahmood, reported that it will be presenting at the 41st Annual EAU Congress, London, UK, 13-16th March 2026.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Presentation information:

Presentation Title: PARADIGM 1 – A multi-center Phase 1 study evaluating the safety and clinical effect of a novel microbial immunotherapeutic (ZH9) in patients with relapsed NMIBC – A first interim review (Abstract ID: A0089)
Session Title: High-risk NMIBC: Evolving BCG–immunotherapy strategies and technical advances in TURB (Abstract Session 05)
Session Date and Time: Friday 13th March, 16:20 – 16:56

(Press release, Prokarium, FEB 26, 2026, View Source [SID1234663087])