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8-K - CURRENT REPORT - NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | v168857_8-k.htm |
EX-10.1 - AMENDED AND RESTATED COMPENSATION PLAN FOR NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS - NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | v168857_ex10-1.htm |
EXHIBIT
99.1
News Release |
Dennis
Winger Joins Nektar Therapeutics’ Board of Directors
San Carlos, Calif., December 14, 2009 --- Nektar Therapeutics
(Nasdaq: NKTR) announced today that Dennis Winger has been appointed to serve on
its board of directors. Winger is a highly-respected
biopharmaceutical industry leader with over 35 years of experience in corporate
management, financial and business strategy.
“Dennis
brings to Nektar extensive industry perspective at an important time in the
company’s evolution,” said Howard W. Robin, President and CEO of Nektar and
member of the Board of Directors. “As we continue to advance our pipeline, the
experience and guidance of leaders like Dennis will be important to Nektar’s
continued success.”
Mr.
Winger, 62, is currently a director of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon Inc. and
Accuray Inc. He retired in 2008 from Applera Corporation, a life
sciences company, where he was senior vice president and chief financial
officer. Previously, Mr. Winger was senior vice president of finance,
administration and chief financial officer at Chiron Corporation. Before that,
Mr. Winger held various financial executive leadership roles with divisions of
The Cooper Companies. Mr. Winger has played a significant role in major merger
and acquisition, financing and divestiture transactions and in managing process
and systems growth within accounting, finance and treasury functions. He holds
an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business and he earned his
undergraduate degree from Siena College.
“Nektar’s
broadly-applicable polymer conjugate technology is among the most exciting drug
development platforms in the biopharmaceutical industry,” Winger
said. “I look forward to working with Howard and his executive team
as they advance the company’s strategic business objectives and build the
clinical pipeline.”
Nektar
also announced today that Michael Brown has retired from its Board of Directors
effective December 8, 2009. Mr. Brown was a member of Nektar’s Board
of Directors since 2002. The Board of Directors and the Company wish to
recognize the significant contributions that Mr. Brown has made over the past
seven years.
“I have
enjoyed working with Mike as both a colleague and advisor,” said
Robin. “On behalf of the entire Board and the Company, we extend our
gratitude to Mike for his outstanding contributions to Nektar.”
About
Nektar
Nektar
Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based
on its PEGylation and advanced polymer conjugation technology platforms.
Nektar's technology and drug development expertise have enabled nine approved
products in the U.S. or Europe for leading biopharmaceutical company partners,
including UCB's Cimzia® for Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Roche's
PEGASYS® for hepatitis C and Amgen's Neulasta® for neutropenia. Nektar has
created a robust pipeline of potentially high-value therapeutics to address
unmet medical needs by leveraging and expanding its technology platforms to
improve and enable molecules. Nektar is also currently conducting clinical
and preclinical programs in oncology, pain and other therapeutic areas.
Nektar recently entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with
AstraZeneca for its oral NKTR-118 program to treat opioid-induced constipation
and its NKTR-119 program for the treatment of pain without constipation side
effects. NKTR-102, PEGylated irinotecan, is currently being evaluated in
Phase 2 clinical studies for the treatment of ovarian, breast and colorectal
cancers. NKTR-105, PEGylated docetaxel, is currently in a Phase 1 clinical
study in cancer patients with refractory solid tumors.
Nektar is
headquartered in San Carlos, California, with additional R&D operations in
Huntsville, Alabama and Hyderabad, India. Further information about the
company and its drug development programs and capabilities may be found online
at http://www.nektar.com.
Contact:
Jennifer Ruddock, 650-631-4954
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