Nkarta ^{Priced, Nasdaq: NKTX}

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of allogeneic, off-the-shelf engineered natural killer, or NK, cell therapies to treat cancer. Our approach for cellular immunotherapy involves chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs, on the surface of an NK cell that enable the cell to recognize specific proteins or antigens that are present on the surface of tumor cells. The concept of a CAR builds upon and enhances the normal biology of T cells and NK cells, whereby naturally occurring receptors serve to activate these cells when a foreign pathogen or cancerous cell is detected. Our two co-lead product candidates are NKX101 and NKX019. NKX101 is designed to enhance the power of innate NK biology to detect and kill cancerous cells. The primary activating receptor for NK cells is known as NKG2D, which works through the detection of stress ligands displayed by cancerous cells. We have engineered NKX101 to increase the cancer cell killing ability of our engineered NK cells by raising levels of NKG2D at least ten-fold as compared to non-engineered NK cells and by adding a costimulatory domain, which is an additional signaling element for white blood cells. We submitted our IND for NKX101 for the treatment of relapsed or refractory AML and higher-risk MDS in May 2020. We are planning to initiate a broad clinical program for NKX101 for blood cancers and solid tumors in 2020. Our initial indications include acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, liver cancer, a bile duct cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma, as well as surgically removed colon cancer cases where only liver metastases remain.