US-based oncology therapy developer Nkarta Therapeutics completed its $114m series B round yesterday, securing capital from investors including pharmaceutical firms Amgen, Novo and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
Samsara BioCapital led the round, which included Deerfield Management, Life Science Partners, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Logos Capital and RA Capital Management, while Amgen and GSK took part through subsidiaries Amgen Ventures and SR One.
Nkarta has developed cell expansion technology that, when combined with cell engineering, will be used to create natural killer cells intended to kill abnormal cells while also triggering adaptive immune system activity to ensure the effect is replicated with similar cells.
The cash will fund clinical trials for NKX101, a cell therapy targeting the NKG2D protein in patients with either haematologic malignancies or solid tumours, and Investigational New Drug (IND)-related activities for additional drug candidates.
The company reportedly secured $15m from SR One, NEA and Novo vehicle Novo Ventures at the time of its launch in 2015. It has largely operated in stealth mode ever since.
Paul Hastings, Nkarta’s president and chief executive, said: “With multiple INDs expected in the next year for an array of hematologic and solid tumours, now is the time to fund the company for its next stage of growth.
“We appreciate the strategic vision, intellectual contributions and capital from our new and existing investors, and we look forward to their continued support as we begin clinical trials of our next generation cell therapy programs for patients with many different types of cancer.”
