Allogeneic cellular immunotherapy platform

Nkarta Therapeutics is focused on harnessing the potential of natural killer (NK) cells for cancer treatment through its proprietary technology. The company aims to enhance the efficacy, applicability, and tolerability of cell therapies by leveraging the innate capabilities of NK cells, which are crucial in the immune response against tumors. Nkarta's platform is built on a robust NK cell expansion technology that allows for the generation of engineered NK cells capable of targeting multiple cancer antigens. This approach not only aims to improve the cytotoxicity of NK cells but also seeks to mitigate risks associated with traditional T-cell therapies, such as cytokine storms and neurotoxicity.

The company is developing allogeneic NK cell therapies that can be produced off-the-shelf, making them more accessible to patients. Nkarta's engineered NK cells incorporate advanced features such as enhanced tumor targeting, increased persistence in the body, and the ability to be cryopreserved for later use. Their lead programs, NKX101 and NKX019, are designed to target specific cancer markers, with NKX101 focusing on NKG2D ligands and NKX019 targeting CD19 in B-cell malignancies. By addressing the limitations of existing therapies, Nkarta aims to provide a versatile and effective treatment option for patients with various types of cancer.

United States

Nkarta is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing the development of allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies. By combining its cell expansion and cryopreservation platform with proprietary cell engineering technologies, Nkarta is building a pipeline of cell therapy candidates generated by efficient manufacturing processes, and engineered to enhance tumor targeting and improve persistence for sustained activity in the body. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.nkartatx.com.

Cancer

Hematologic Diseases

Immune System Diseases

Nkarta Therapeutics

B-cell lymphoma

B-cell malignancies

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

NKX019 is an investigational, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy that uses natural killer (NK) cells derived from the peripheral blood of healthy donors and engineered with a CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and a proprietary, membrane-bound form of interleukin 15 (IL-15). CD19 is a biomarker for normal and malignant B cells, and it is a validated target for B cell cancer therapies. Via its CAR, NKX019 targets and binds to CD19 and eliminates CD19-expressing cells via a robust immune response in preclinical studies.
<a href="https://ir.nkartatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/nkarta-receives-nkx019-ind-clearance-us-food-and-drug">source</a>
 
CAR T

NKX019 (CAR NK cell therapy)

Acute myeloid leukemia

Bone marrow disorder

Myelodysplastic syndrome

NKX101 is an investigational, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy that uses natural killer (NK) cells derived from the peripheral blood of healthy donors and engineered with membrane-bound IL15 and a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting NKG2D ligands on tumor cells. NKG2D, a key activating receptor found on naturally occurring NK cells, induces a cell-killing immune response through the detection of stress ligands that are widely expressed on cancer cells. By engineering NKX101 with the proprietary NKG2D-based CAR, the ability of NK cells to recognize and kill tumor cells in pre-clinical models is increased significantly compared to non-engineered NK cells. The addition of membrane-bound IL15, a proprietary version of a cytokine for activating NK cell growth, has been shown in pre-clinical models to enhance the proliferation, persistence and sustained activity of NK cells.
 
CAR T

NKX101 (CAR-T targeting NKG2D)

Autoimmune disease

Lupus nephritis

NKX019 is an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf immunotherapy candidate that uses natural killer (NK) cells derived from the peripheral blood of healthy adult donors. It is engineered with a humanized CD19-directed CAR for enhanced cell targeting and a proprietary, membrane-bound form of interleukin-15 (IL-15) for greater persistence and activity without exogenous cytokine support. CD19 is a biomarker for normal B cells as well as those implicated in autoimmune disease and B cell-derived malignancies.

Nkarta Therapeutics

Company Details