EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NantKwest, Inc. (Nasdaq: NK), a clinical-stage, natural killer cell-based therapeutics company, and ImmunityBio, a privately held immunotherapy company, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to jointly develop, manufacture, market, and commercialize therapeutics and vaccines for combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the two companies agree to share equally the costs incurred after August 21, 2020 of development, manufacturing, marketing, and commercialization of the products each is developing related to COVID-19. Should a product be commercialized successfully, the companies have agreed to a 60-40 percentage split of net profits, with the larger share going to the company that developed the product. The agreement also details the structure of shared governance of the joint collaboration.

The two product candidates currently in development under the agreement are a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapeutic from NantKwest, whose goal is to reduce the time a critically ill patient spends on a ventilator; and a COVID-19 vaccine product from ImmunityBio, which is anticipated to soon enter into a phase I clinical trial.

The severity and global nature of the COVID-19 pandemic demands that researchers move rapidly and have the resources necessary to develop ways to fight this deadly virus, said Patrick Soon-Shiong, Chairman and CEO of NantKwest and ImmunityBio. The agreement strengthens the efforts of both companies on behalf of patients, while also ensuring each company will earn a fair share of the returns of a successful product.

About NantKwest

NantKwest (NASDAQ: NK) is an innovative, clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on harnessing the power of the innate immune system to treat cancer and infectious diseases. NantKwest is the leading producer of clinical dose forms of off-the-shelf natural killer (NK) cell therapies. The activated NK cell platform is designed to destroy cancer and virally-infected cells. The safety of these optimized, activated NK cellsas well as their activity against a broad range of cancershas been tested in phase I clinical trials in Canada and Europe, as well as in multiple phase I and II clinical trials in the United States. By leveraging an integrated and extensive genomics and transcriptomics discovery and development engine, together with a pipeline of multiple, clinical-stage, immuno-oncology programs, NantKwests goal is to transform medicine by bringing novel NK cell-based therapies to routine clinical care. NantKwest is a member of the NantWorks ecosystem of companies. For more information, please visit http://www.nantkwest.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying that NantKwest will be successful in improving the treatment of cancer or other critical illnesses, including COVID-19. Risks and uncertainties related to these endeavors include, but are not limited to, obtaining FDA approval of NantKwests NK cells and MSC as well as other therapeutics and manufacturing challenges.

Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

These and other risks regarding NantKwests business are described in detail in its Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including in NantKwests Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law.

About ImmunityBio

ImmunityBio, Inc. is a late-clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing next-generation therapies that drive immunogenic mechanisms for defeating cancers and infectious disease. The companys immunotherapy platform activates both the innate (natural killer cell and macrophage) and adaptive (T cell) immune systems to create long-term immunological memory. This novel approach is designed to eliminate the need for high-dose chemotherapy, improve upon the outcomes of current CAR T-cell therapies, and extend beyond checkpoint inhibitors.

ImmunityBios platform is based on the foundation of three separate modalities: antibody cytokine fusion proteins, synthetic immunomodulators, and second-generation vaccine technologies.

ImmunityBios lead cytokine infusion protein, a novel interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist complex (Anktiva), has received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for BCG-unresponsive CIS non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Other indications currently at registration-stage trials include BCG-unresponsive papillary bladder cancer, first and second line lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, metastatic pancreatic cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, and soft tissue sarcoma in combination with the companys synthetic immune modulator (Aldoxorubicin).

ImmunityBio is also developing therapies, including vaccines, for the prevention and treatment of HIV, influenza, and the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 with its second-generation human adenovirus (hAd5) vaccine platform.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying that ImmunityBio will be successful in improving the treatment of various diseases, including, but not limited to the novel coronavirus and cancer. Risks and uncertainties related to this endeavor include, but are not limited to, the companys beliefs regarding the success, cost, and timing of its development activities and clinical trials.

Forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any obligation to update these statements except as may be required by law.

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NantKwest and ImmunityBio Sign Collaboration Agreement for Joint Development, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Commercialization of COVID-19 Vaccine and...