Unassociated Document
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
 
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): April 27, 2011
 
NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware
 
0-24006
 
94-3134940
(State or Other Jurisdiction
of Incorporation)
 
(Commission
File Number)
 
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
 
455 Mission Bay Boulevard South
San Francisco, California 94158
(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)
 
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 631-3100
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
 
o
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 
 

 

Item 2.02
Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On April 27, 2011, Nektar Therapeutics, a Delaware corporation (“Nektar”), issued a press release (the “Press Release”) announcing its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.  A copy of the Press Release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1.
 
On April 18, 2011, Nektar announced that it would hold a Webcast conference call on April 27, 2011 to review its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2011.  This conference call is accessible through a link that is posted on the home page and Investor Relations section of the Nektar website: http://www.nektar.com.
 
On this conference call, management expects to provide information regarding  Nektar’s business and make forward-looking statements, including statements regarding pre-clinical and clinical development plans, the medical and commercial potential for certain of Nektar’s drug candidates, the value and potential of Nektar’s technology, the projected Phase 3 clinical trial start date for Amikacin Inhale (partnered with Bayer AG), the timing and availability of future clinical results, the timing of future events related to the advancement of our drug candidate pipeline including potential future regulatory filings with health authorities, financial guidance for 2011, and certain other future events.  This information and these forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties including but not limited to:

 
·
Nektar’s proprietary drug candidates, including NKTR-118, NKTR-102, and Amikacin Inhale are in clinical development and the risk of failure remains high and can unexpectedly occur at any time due to lack of efficacy, safety issues, manufacturing challenges or other factors that can negatively impact drug development.

 
·
Scientific discovery of new medical breakthroughs is an inherently uncertain process and the future success of the application of Nektar’s technology platforms to potential new drug candidates is therefore very uncertain and unpredictable and one or more research and development programs could fail.

 
·
The timing and/or success of the commencement or end of clinical trials, including without limitation the anticipated Phase 3 commencement for NKTR-102 and Amikacin Inhale, may be delayed or unsuccessful due to regulatory delays, clinical trial design and the need to obtain regulatory concurrence for such designs, slower than anticipated patient enrollment, manufacturing challenges, changing standards of care or clinical outcomes, or financial constraints.  For example, Nektar has experienced several significant delays in finalizing the commercial device design for Amikacin Inhale and successful completion of this device design and commercial scale-up effort is an essential element to enabling the future start of the planned Phase 3 trial—these activities are ongoing and remain subject to a substantial risk of failure until such activities are successfully completed.

 
·
The preliminary Phase 2 results for NKTR-102 in ovarian and breast cancer previously announced or presented by Nektar remain subject to final data gathering and audit confirmation procedures.  Therefore, the final results for the ovarian and breast cancer trials may differ materially and adversely from previously reported data after these audit and verification procedures are completed.  In addition, there are patients still enrolled and continuing to enroll in the Phase 2 trial for ovarian cancer and patients still enrolled in the Phase 2 trial for breast cancer and as these studies continue to progress, results may change as new data becomes available, and the final results could be materially and adversely different from results previously announced by Nektar.

 
·
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.

 
·
The outcome of any intellectual property or other litigation related to Nektar’s proprietary product candidates or partner product candidates where Nektar has indemnification responsibility is unpredictable and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

 
·
The market sizes for Nektar’s proprietary and partnered product programs are based on management’s current estimates (and in some cases estimates communicated to us by our collaboration partners) only and actual market sizes may differ materially and adversely.

 
·
Management’s financial projections for Nektar’s 2011 annual revenue, certain annual expense category estimates, and year-end cash position are subject to the significant risk of unplanned revenue short-falls, unplanned expenses, and expenses being higher than planned, any of which could adversely affect Nektar’s actual 2011 annual financial results and end of year cash position.

 
·
Other important risks and uncertainties set forth in Nektar’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 1, 2011.


 
 

 

Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking statements and Nektar undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
 
The information in this report, including the exhibit hereto, is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section or Sections 11 and 12(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.  The information contained herein and in the accompanying exhibit shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made by Nektar Therapeutics, whether made before or after the date hereof, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filing.

Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Exhibit
No.
  
Description
   
99.1  
  
Press release titled “Nektar Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2011 Financial Results” issued by Nektar Therapeutics on April 27, 2011.

 
 

 

SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirement of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

       
 
By: 
  /s/ Gil M. Labrucherie
    Gil M. Labrucherie
    General Counsel and Secretary
     
 
Date:
 April 27, 2011
 
 
 

 
 
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits

Exhibit
No.
  
Description
   
99.1  
  
Press release titled “Nektar Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2011 Financial Results” issued by Nektar Therapeutics on April 27, 2011.
 
 
 

 

Nektar Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2011 Financial Results

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.

Nektar Investor Inquiries:


Jennifer Ruddock/Nektar Therapeutics

(650) 631-4954

Susan Noonan/SA Noonan Communications, LLC

(212) 966-3650



Nektar Media Inquiries:


Karen Bergman/BCC Partners

(650) 575-1509

Michelle Corral/BCC Partners

(415) 794-8662



NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)






ASSETS

March 31, 2011


December 31, 2010

(1)

Current assets:






Cash and cash equivalents

$           22,485


$                 17,755



Short-term investments

496,157


298,177



Accounts receivable

2,160


25,102



Inventory

11,712


7,266



Other current assets

6,859


5,679




Total current assets

539,373


353,979









Property and equipment, net

87,628


89,773


Goodwill

76,501


76,501


Other assets

976


972



Total assets

$         704,478


$               521,225









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY












Current liabilities:






Accounts payable

$             3,481


$                   7,194



Accrued compensation

7,680


9,252



Accrued expenses

9,231


8,540



Accrued clinical trial expenses

13,649


12,144



Deferred revenue, current portion

19,974


20,584



Other current liabilities

4,865


6,394




Total current liabilities

58,880


64,108









Convertible subordinated notes

214,955


214,955


Capital lease obligations

16,448


17,014


Deferred revenue

122,818


124,763


Deferred gain

3,934


4,152


Other long-term liabilities

6,205


5,571




Total liabilities

423,240


430,563









Commitments and contingencies












Stockholders' equity:






Preferred stock

-


-



Common stock

11


9



Capital in excess of par value

1,580,990


1,354,232



Accumulated other comprehensive income

818


968



Accumulated deficit

(1,300,581)


(1,264,547)




Total stockholders' equity

281,238


90,662



Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$         704,478


$               521,225









(1) The consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2010 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and notes required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States for complete financial statements.



NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share information)

(unaudited)






Three Months Ended March 31,


2011


2010

Revenue:




  Product sales and royalties

$    4,793


$  3,584

  License, collaboration, and other

6,506


29,653

Total revenue

11,299


33,237





Operating costs and expenses:




  Cost of goods sold

3,263


4,296

  Research and development

30,176


23,286

  General and administrative

11,727


9,013

Total operating costs and expenses

45,166


36,595





Loss from operations

(33,867)


(3,358)





Non-operating income (expense):




Interest income

432


463

Interest expense

(2,585)


(2,951)

Other income, net

134


24

Total non-operating expense

(2,019)


(2,464)





Loss before provision for income taxes

(35,886)


(5,822)

Provision for income taxes

148


308

Net loss

$ (36,034)


$ (6,130)









Basic and diluted net loss per share

$     (0.33)


$   (0.07)





Weighted average shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share

108,677


93,631



NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)

(unaudited)






Three Months Ended March 31,


2011


2010

Cash flows from operating activities:




Net loss

$   (36,034)


$   (6,130)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:




Depreciation and amortization

3,856


4,149

Stock-based compensation

4,802


3,744

Other non-cash transactions

309


(235)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:




Accounts receivable

22,942


(2,908)

Inventory

(4,446)


(2,232)

Other assets

(1,199)


(883)

Accounts payable

(2,895)


1,748

Accrued compensation

(1,572)


(4,348)

Accrued expenses

1,961


1,354

Accrued clinical trial expenses

1,505


(552)

Deferred revenue

(2,555)


(26,568)

Other liabilities

(1,544)


(1,302)

Net cash used in operating activities

$   (14,870)


$ (34,163)





Cash flows from investing activities:




Purchases of investments

(372,723)


(115,277)

Maturities of investments

113,235


112,074

Sales of investments

61,368


8,197

Purchases of property and equipment

(3,765)


(3,973)

Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities

$ (201,885)


$    1,021





Cash flows from financing activities:




Payments of loan and capital lease obligations

(459)


(359)

Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs

221,958


4,776

Net cash provided by financing activities

$  221,499


$    4,417

Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents

(14)


(300)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

$      4,730


$ (29,025)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

17,755


49,597

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$    22,485


$  20,572