Nkarta leaps on positive data for natural killer cell programs

US biotech Nkarta Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTX), which is developing engineered natural killer cell therapies to treat cancer, saw its shares rocket more than 140% to $18.72 by close of trading on Monday, after it announced positive preliminary Phase I data from independent dose finding studies of its two lead chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell therapy candidates, NKX101 and NKX019, in two distinct groups of hematologic malignancies.

“We’re excited to see our CAR NK co-lead candidates, NKX101 and NKX019, show such striking early single-agent activity in heavily pre-treated patient populations, with an exceptional safety profile without the side effects associated with CAR T cell therapies,” said Paul Hastings, president and chief executive of Nkarta, adding; “These encouraging data across multiple indications further validate Nkarta’s best-in-class NK cell platform, as we seek to transform cancer treatment by bringing together the safety advantages of NK cells with an off-the-shelf modality designed to make the benefits of cell therapy accessible in a community setting.”

Trial details