Nkarta, Inc. has recently announced the addition of George Vratsanos, M.D., FACR, to its board of directors, bringing with him extensive expertise in immunology, clinical development, and translational science. Dr. Vratsanos has previously held senior R&D leadership roles at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Roche, and Bristol Myers Squibb, overseeing the successful development of approved therapies such as Orencia and Cosentyx.
Nkarta's President and CEO, Paul J. Hastings, expressed his confidence in Dr. Vratsanos, highlighting his accomplishments in the field and the value he will bring to the company's strategic path. Dr. Vratsanos, in turn, expressed his excitement in supporting Nkarta's clinical work to explore natural killer cell therapy for the treatment of lupus and other autoimmune diseases, emphasizing the breakthrough potential of NK cell therapy in treating autoimmune diseases without the safety concerns and logistical challenges of other cell therapies.
Nkarta is currently focused on developing NKX019, an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of lupus nephritis, a severe form of lupus affecting the kidneys and other healthy tissues and organs. NKX019 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 serves as a biomarker for normal B cells as well as those implicated in autoimmune disease and B cell-derived malignancies.
Today the company's shares have moved -1.4% to a price of $6.23. For more information, read the company's full 8-K submission here.
