- Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY +0.2%) and Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR -11.7%) announce a new clinical collaboration to evaluate Bristol-Myers' Opdivo (nivolumab) combined with Nektar’s investigational NKTR-214 for the treatment of five tumor types (melanoma, kidney, colorectal, bladder and non-small cell lung cancer) and seven potential indications. An initial dose-escalation trial is underway.
- Bristol-Myers Squibb and Nektar will equally share the costs of the trials. Nektar will maintain its global commercial rights to NKTR-214.
- Opdivo is a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor designed to overcome immune suppression. NKTR-214 is an experimental therapy designed to stimulate cancer-killing immune cells in the body by targeting CD122 specific receptors found on the surface of these immune cells, known as CD8+ effector T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells.