Press Release

SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --  Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) today reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at March 31, 2011 were $518.6 million as compared to $315.9 million at December 31, 2010.

Revenue for the first quarter of 2011 decreased to $11.3 million as compared to $33.2 million in the first quarter of 2010.  This decrease in revenue year over year is primarily attributable to the completion as of December 31, 2010 of the amortization of the $125.0 million upfront payment received in 2009 from AstraZeneca for the NKTR-118 license agreement.  

Total operating costs and expenses in the first quarter of 2011 increased by 23% to $45.2 million, compared to $36.6 million in the first quarter 2010.  This increase was primarily a result of higher development expenses related to the advancement of multiple programs in clinical development.  Research and development expense increased to $30.2 million in the first quarter 2011 as compared to $23.3 million for the same quarter in 2010.  General and administrative expense increased to $11.7 million in the first quarter 2011 from $9.0 million in the first quarter of 2010.

"Nektar made great progress in the first quarter of 2011," said Howard W. Robin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nektar. "The first patients were enrolled in the comprehensive Phase 3 program for NKTR-118, and our proprietary next-generation opioid candidate, NKTR-181, entered Phase 1 clinical development.  We are also preparing our lead oncology candidate, NKTR-102, for advancement into Phase 3 development.  We continue to be highly focused on advancing our preclinical pipeline to enable the introduction of one new IND candidate each year."

Net loss for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011 was $36.0 million or $0.33 loss per share as compared to a net loss of $6.1 million or $0.07 loss per share in the first quarter of 2010.

Conference Call to Discuss First Quarter 2011 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, April 27, 2011.

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 Wednesday, May 25, 2011.

To access the conference call, follow these instructions:

Dial: (800) 573-4754 (U.S.); (617) 224-4325 (international)

Passcode: 88966725 (Nektar Therapeutics is the host)

An audio replay will also be available shortly following the call through Wednesday, May 25, 2011 and can be accessed by dialing (888) 286-8010 (U.S.); or (617) 801-6888 (international) with a passcode of 92209339.

In the event that any non-GAAP financial measure is discussed on the conference call that is not described in the press release, or explained on the conference call, related information will be made available on the Investor Relations page at the Nektar website as soon as practical after the conclusion of the conference call.

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 areas. In the area of pain, Nektar has an exclusive worldwide license agreement with AstraZeneca for NKTR-118, an investigational drug candidate, being evaluated in Phase 3 clinical studies as a once-daily, oral tablet for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation.  The agreement also includes NKTR-119, an earlier stage development program that is a co-formulation of NKTR-118 and an opioid.  NKTR-181, a novel mu-opioid analgesic molecule, is being evaluated in Phase 1 clinical studies.  In oncology, NKTR-102, a novel topoisomerase I-inhibitor, is being evaluated in Phase 2 clinical studies for the treatment of breast, ovarian and colorectal cancers.  NKTR-105, a novel anti-mitotic agent, is in a Phase 1 clinical study in cancer patients with refractory solid tumors.

Nektar's technology has enabled seven approved products in the U.S. or Europe through partnerships with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including UCB's Cimzia® for Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis, Roche's PEGASYS® for hepatitis C and Amgen's Neulasta® for neutropenia.

Nektar is headquartered in San Francisco, 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.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views regarding the value and potential of Nektar's drug candidate pipeline, the value and potential of Nektar's technology platform, and the value and potential of certain of Nektar's collaborations with third parties.  These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: (i) Nektar's product candidates and those of its 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; (ii) the timing of the commencement or end of clinical trials and the successful commercial launch of our drug candidates may be delayed or unsuccessful due to slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care, regulatory delay, 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; (iii) scientific discovery of new medical breakthroughs is an inherently uncertain process and the future success of the application of Nektar's technology platform to potential new drug candidates is therefore highly uncertain and unpredictable and one or more research and development programs could fail; (iv) Nektar's patent applications for its proprietary or partner product candidates may not issue, patents that have issued may not be enforceable, or additional intellectual property licenses from third parties may be required in the future; (v) the outcome of any future intellectual property or other litigation related to Nektar's proprietary product candidates or complex commercial agreements; and (vi) certain other important risks and uncertainties set forth in Nektar's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2011.  Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.  Nektar undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Nektar Therapeutics