SAN FRANCISCO, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments at March 31, 2012 were $498.8 million as compared to $414.9 million at December 31, 2011. This increase is primarily a result of the $124.0 million in proceeds received by Nektar for the sale of its Cimzia® and Mircera® royalty interests, which was completed during the first quarter of 2012.

"I am extremely pleased with Nektar's performance in the first quarter of 2012," said Howard W. Robin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nektar. "We significantly strengthened our financial position with the sale of non-core royalties for $124 million with no equity dilution to our stockholders. We completed the Phase 1 clinical trials for NKTR-181, our novel opioid analgesic for chronic pain, and are targeting the start of the Phase 2 program in the middle of this year. In addition, we advanced our next new opioid candidate, NKTR-192 for acute pain, into Phase 1. Finally, the FDA approved the eighth product enabled by Nektar technology, Affymax's OMONTYS® for anemia, showcasing the ability of our technology platform to continue to produce new product candidates in high value therapeutic areas."

The company also announced that the naloxegol clinical studies in opioid-induced constipation continue on-track for planned regulatory filings by AstraZeneca in mid-2013, and partner Baxter is targeting the start of Phase 3 development by year-end for BAX 855, a long-acting PEGylated Factor VIII therapeutic candidate for hemophilia A.

Revenue for the first quarter of 2012 was $17.9 million, an increase versus $11.3 million in the first quarter of 2011. The increase was primarily due to higher product sales during the quarter. Total operating costs and expenses in the first quarter of 2012 were $55.9 million as compared to $45.2 million in the first quarter of 2011. Total operating costs and expenses increased primarily as a result of higher research and development expense and higher cost of goods for product sales. Research and development expense in the first quarter of 2012 was $35.1 million as compared to $30.2 million for the first quarter of 2011. R&D expense was higher in the first quarter of 2012 reflecting Nektar's focus on advancing a number of key clinical programs, including the Phase 3 study of etirinotecan pegol (NKTR-102) in metastatic breast cancer, the preparations to initiate the Phase 2 study for NKTR-181 in chronic pain patients, and the initial Phase 1 clinical study for NKTR-192.

General and administrative expense was $10.4 million in the first quarter of 2012, a decrease as compared to $11.7 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012 was $41.1 million or $0.36 loss per share.

The company also announced upcoming presentations at the following medical meetings and scientific congresses during the second and third quarters of 2012:

IMPAKT Breast Cancer Conference, Brussels, Belgium:

• Abstract Title: "Phase 3 study of NKTR-102 versus Treatment of Physician's Choice (TPC) in patients (pts) with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) previously treated with an anthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine (ATC)", Cortes, J, et. al.
  • Abstract/Poster Number: #173
  • Session Title/Track: "New Drug Development"
  • Date: May 4, 2012, Gold Hall, 16:15 – 17:20 p.m. Central European Time
• Abstract Title: "Significant antitumor activity in a randomized phase 2 study comparing 2 schedules of NKTR-102 in patients with metastatic breast cancer", Awada A, et. al.
  • Abstract/Poster Number: #249
  • Session Title/Track: "New Drug Development"
  • Date: May 4, 2012, Gold Hall, 16:15 – 17:20 p.m. Central European Time

American Society of Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois:

• Abstract Title: "Phase 3 study of NKTR-102 versus Treatment of Physician's Choice (TPC) in pts with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with an anthracycline, a taxane and capecitabine", Perez E, et. al.
  • Abstract/Poster Number: #TPS1140/36A
  • Session Title/Track: "Trials in Progress Session"
  • Date: June 2, 2012, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Central Time
  • Location: S Hall A2
• Abstract Title: "NKTR-102 in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: Modeling CA-125 response and its correlation with tumor response", Chia Y, et. al.
  • Abstract/Poster Number: #5048/18H
  • Session Title/Track: "General Poster Session: Gynecologic Cancer"
  • Date: June 3, 2012, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Central Time
  • Location: S Hall A2

The International Conference on Opioids: Basic Science, Clinical Applications and Compliance

• Abstract Title: "Multiple Dose Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of the New Oral Opioid Analgesic, NKTR-181" Odinecs et. al.
  • Abstract: #35
  • Date: June 12, 2012, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Conference Call to Discuss First Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Nektar management will host a conference call to review the results beginning at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)/2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) today, Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

The press release and a live audio-only Webcast of the conference call can be accessed through a link that is posted on the home page and Investor Relations section of the Nektar website: http://www.nektar.com. The web broadcast of the conference call will be available for replay through June 2, 2012.

To access the conference call, follow these instructions:

Dial: (866) 203-3436 (U.S.); (617) 213-8849 (international)
Passcode: 64392378 (Nektar Therapeutics is the host)

An audio replay will also be available shortly following the call through Saturday, June 2, 2012 and can be accessed by dialing (888) 286-8010(U.S.); or (617) 801-6888 (international) with a passcode of 29485870.

About Nektar

Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics based on its PEGylation and advanced polymer conjugation technology platforms. Nektar has a robust R&D pipeline of potentially high-value therapeutics in oncology, pain and other therapeutic areas. In the area of pain, Nektar has an exclusive worldwide license agreement with AstraZeneca for naloxegol (NKTR-118), an investigational drug candidate, which is being evaluated in Phase 3 clinical studies as a once- daily, oral tablet for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation. This agreement also includes NKTR-119, an earlier stage development program that is a co-formulation of naloxegol and an opioid. NKTR-181, a novel mu-opioid analgesic in development to treat chronic pain, has completed Phase 1 development and is being prepared for a Phase 2 study. NKTR-192, a novel mu-opioid analgesic in development to treat acute pain is in Phase 1 clinical development. In oncology, etirinotecan pegol (NKTR-102) is being evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical study for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and in Phase 2 studies for the treatment of ovarian and colorectal cancers.

Nektar's technology has enabled eight approved products in the U.S. or Europe through partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including Affymax's OMONTYS® for anemia, UCB's Cimzia® for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Roche's PEGASYS® for hepatitis C and Amgen's Neulasta® for neutropenia. Additional development-stage products that leverage Nektar's proprietary technology platform include Baxter's BAX 855, a long-acting PEGylated rFVIII program, which is in Phase 1 clinical development.

Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with additional 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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "expect," "believe," "should," "may," "will" and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our plans to initiate a Phase 2 clinical study for NKTR-181; AstraZeneca's planned regulatory filings with government health authorities for approval of NKTR-118 in one or more countries if the Phase 3 clinical studies for this drug candidate are successful; Baxter's planned start of Phase 3 development for BAX 855 prior to year-end; the strength of our financial position and our future ability to invest in the advancement of our proprietary drug candidates; the value and potential of certain drug candidates being developed by our collaboration partners including NKTR-118 and OMONTYS®; and the value and potential of Nektar's technology and research and development pipeline. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, (i) our ability to maintain sufficient cash, liquid resources, and investments and our ability to raise additional cash through the monetization or sale of assets held by us or through one or more financing transactions that may be dilutive to our existing stockholders, in order to fund the repayment of the principal amount of the $215.0 million in outstanding convertible subordinated notes due in September 2012 and to allow us to further invest in our business; (ii) our drug candidates and those of our collaboration partners are in various stages of clinical development and the risk of failure is high and can unexpectedly occur at any stage prior to regulatory approval for numerous reasons including safety and efficacy findings even after positive findings in preclinical and clinical studies; (iii) the timing of the commencement or end of clinical trials and the commercial launch of our drug candidates may be delayed or unsuccessful due to regulatory delays, slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care, evolving regulatory requirements, clinical trial design, clinical outcomes, competitive factors, or delay or failure in ultimately obtaining regulatory approval in one or more important markets; (iv) scientific discovery of new medical breakthroughs is an inherently uncertain process and the future success of the application of our technology platform to potential new drug candidates is therefore highly uncertain and unpredictable and one or more research and development programs could fail; and (v) certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2012. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.