On May 15, 2019 Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) reported five abstracts accepted for presentation at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper), which is being held from May 31 to June 4, 2019 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois (Press release, Nektar Therapeutics, MAY 15, 2019, View Source [SID1234536369]). The abstracts published in advance of the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting were made available at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time today on the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting website at View Source

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"We are pleased to announce the presentation of five abstracts for our lead I-O investigational candidate, bempegaldesleukin, which includes important translational clinical data for the combination of bempeg with nivolumab as well as early data from an investigator-sponsored pilot study conducted in patients with heavily pre-treated, rapidly progressing and refractory sarcomas," said Stephen Doberstein, Ph.D., Chief Research & Development Officer at Nektar. "We are also highlighting several registrational trials underway for bempeg plus nivo in patients with melanoma and RCC. We believe bempeg has a unique and non-overlapping mechanism which synergizes with various immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors, to improve the body’s cancer-fighting immune response and potentially improve treatment outcomes for patients with a variety of cancers."

Details of abstract presentations are as follows:

Developmental Immunotherapy and Tumor Immunobiology
Abstract #2584/Poster Board #228*
Title: "Overcoming genetically-based resistance mechanisms to PD-1 blockade", Torrejon, D., et al.
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A
*2019 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting Merit Award recipient

Abstract #2623/Poster Board #267
Title: "Baseline tumor-immune signatures associated with response to bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) and nivolumab", Hurwitz, M., et al.
Date: Saturday, June 1, 2019, 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A

Emerging Combinations in Sarcoma Immunotherapy
Abstract #11010
Title: "Pilot study of bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) and nivolumab in patients with sarcomas"
Presenter: Sandra D’Angelo, M.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, S100a

Details of Trials in Progress poster presentations are as follows:

Melanoma/Skin Cancers
Abstract TPS9601/Poster Board #168b (Trials in progress (TiP) abstract)
Title: "CA045-001: A phase III, randomized, open label study of bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus nivolumab (NIVO) versus NIVO monotherapy in patients (pts) with previously untreated, unresectable or metastatic melanoma (MEL)", Khushalani, N., et al.
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019, 1:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A

Genitourinary (Nonprostate) Cancer
Abstract TPS4595/Poster Board #416b (Trials in progress (TiP) abstract)
Title: "A phase III randomized open label study comparing bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214) plus nivolumab to sunitinib or cabozantinib (investigator’s choice) in patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma", Tannir, N., et al.
Date: Monday, June 3, 2019, 1:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Central Time
Location: McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall A

About Bempegaldesleukin (NKTR-214)
Bempegaldesleukin is an investigational, first-in-class, CD122-preferential IL-2 pathway agonist designed to provide rapid activation and proliferation of cancer-killing immune cells, known as CD8+ effector T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, without over activating the immune system. Bempegaldesleukin stimulates these cancer-killing immune cells in the body by targeting CD122 specific receptors found on the surface of these immune cells. CD122, which is also known as the Interleukin-2 receptor beta subunit, is a key signaling receptor that is known to increase proliferation of these effector T cells.1 In clinical and preclinical studies, treatment with bempegaldesleukin resulted in expansion of these cells and mobilization into the tumor micro-environment.2,3 Bempegaldesleukin has an antibody-like dosing regimen similar to the existing checkpoint inhibitor class of approved medicines.