Nkarta opens new cohort in Phase 1 study of NKX019

Nkarta announced the opening of a new cohort in its Phase 1 study of NKX019 in r/r NHL. The new cohort introduces a compressed dosing schedule, where patients receive NKX019 doses on Days 0, 3 and 7 following standard LD with flu and cy. In previous cohorts, NKX019 has been administered on Days 0, 7 and 14 following LD. This schedule is designed to intensify exposure to NKX019 in the first week after LD, when internal data suggest that NKX019 exposure is highest. The new cohort will target patients with large B-cell lymphoma , including those who have received prior CD19-directed CAR-T cell therapy. Nkarta may also use data from this cohort to inform future dosing strategies across its platform. In December 2022, Nkarta announced the opening of three dose expansion cohorts to evaluate NKX019 monotherapy and NKX019 in combination with rituximab in patients with LBCL. Preliminary results from these cohorts did not meet Nkarta’s expectations, based on the clinical experience of NKX019 in the dose finding portion of the Phase 1 study. As a result, Nkarta is no longer enrolling patients in these dose expansion cohorts. Preliminary data from the dose compression cohort are expected mid-2024. Nkarta plans to evaluate the results from this cohort before committing additional resources to the NHL program.