It is beingdeveloped as an anti-neoplastic agent and is the company's second oncologyprogram in clinical development

It is beingdeveloped as an anti-neoplastic agent, and is the company's second oncologyprogram in clinical development.Docetaxel is a versatile chemotherapy agent currently approved by the FDA foruse in breast, non-small cell lung, prostate, gastric, and head and neckcancers. The compound belongs to the taxoidfamily and acts by disrupting the microtubular network in cells. In the currenttrial of NKTR-105, the compound has required no pre-treatment withcorticosteroids and shown no evidence of neutropenia in patients to date.About NKTR-105NKTR-105 is a novel form of docetaxel that was developed using Nektar'sadvanced polymer technology platform. The Phase 1 study will assess the safety, pharmacokinetics andantitumor activity of NKTR-105 in approximately 30 patients with refractorysolid tumors who have failed all prior available therapies. We are excited about the drug's potentialto significantly expand therapeutic options for oncologists and patients."In previous preclinical studies, NKTR-105 demonstrated superior antitumoractivity with no neutropenia in multiple tumor models, indicating thatNKTR-105 may enable sustained therapeutic levels of docetaxel without themyelosuppression that is a dose-limiting toxicity for this widely-used cancertherapy.NKTR-105 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in cancerpatients.

"We believeNKTR-105 has the potential to offer improved efficacy as well as improvedsafety and tolerability due to its prolonged half-life and increased uptake bytumor tissue relative to docetaxel. Senior VicePresident, Drug Development and Chief Development Officer. "The encouraging antitumor activity and unique pharmacokinetic profile ofNKTR-105 in these data support our ongoing Phase 1 study in patients withrefractory solid cancers," said Randall Moreadith, M.D., Ph.D. Treatment with NKTR-105 increased docetaxelconcentrations in tumors (0.4 to 4-fold higher) and resulted in an improvedtime-concentration profile (2-fold greater) as compared to docetaxel in anon-small cell lung (H460) mouse xenograft model.

48%),which was associated with greater and sustained tumor exposure to docetaxelafter NKTR-105 administration. NKTR-105 Demonstrates Superior Antitumor Activity and ImprovedPharmacokinetics Over Docetaxel in Preclinical Studies Presented at AACRDENVER and SAN CARLOS, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NektarTherapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) presented data today at the American Associationfor Cancer Research (AACR) 100th Annual Meeting demonstrating that NKTR-105, anovel PEGylated form of docetaxel, has superior antitumor activity, as well asgreater and sustained exposure in plasma and tumor tissue, over docetaxel inpreclinical models.In a comparative study of NKTR-105 and docetaxel, NKTR-105 treatmentsignificantly delayed tumor growth as compared to docetaxel (122% v. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Maceo Boston, and first-round pick Roy Hibbert. White to Seattle for two second-round picks, Walter Sharpe and Trent Plaiste.G Arron AfflaloG Chauncey BillupsG Juan Dixon (UFA)G Rip HamiltonF Jarvis Hayes (UFA)F Walter Herrmann (RFA)G Lindsey Hunter (UFA)F Amir JohnsonF Jason MaxiellF Antonio McDyessF Trent Plaisted (R) (from Seattle)F Tayshaun PrinceC Theo Ratliff (UFA)C Cheikh SambF Walter Sharpe (R) (from Seattle)G Rodney StuckeyC-F Rasheed WallaceF-G Deron Washington (R) Indiana Pacers: On a busy day, the Pacers traded Jermaine O'Neal and second-round pick Nathan Jawai to the Raptors for T.J. Kaun was acquired from Seattle for cash considerations.C Lance AllredG Devin Brown (UFA)G Daniel Gibson (RFA)F JJ Hickson (R)C Zydrunas IlgauskasF Darnell Jackson (R) (from Miami)F LeBron JamesG Damon Jones (RFA)C-F Dwayne JonesC Sasha Kaun (R) (from Seattle)G-F Aleksander PavlovicF-C Joe SmithG Eric SnowF Wally SzczerbiakG Billy ThomasC-F Anderson VarejaoC-F Ben WallaceG Delonte West (RFA) Detroit Pistons: A new coach will try and get the Pistons into the NBA Finals in 2009 They traded their first-round pick D.J. Jackson was acquired from the Heat for the lower of Cleveland's two, 2009 second-round picks.