SAN DIEGO, Calif., September 10, 2020 – Brink Biologics, Inc. (“Brink”), a NantKwest, Inc. (NASDAQ: NK) affiliate and exclusively-licensed distributor of NantKwest’s proprietary off-the-shelf NK-92® natural killer cells in certain fields, announces the licensing of its next-generation natural killer-based bioanalytical testing solution to Fresenius Kabi SwissBioSim GmbH (“Fresenius”), a Switzerland-based global healthcare company focusing on autoimmune diseases and oncology.
Brink Biologics offers a variety of GLP and research-grade NK-92® based cell lines as part of its Neukopanel® portfolio of products for laboratory testing applications. Neukopanel® includes discovery, translational and developmental research as well as commercial lot release testing of clinical products. Brink products are utilized widely by large pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies to support products ranging from anti-viral and dendritic cell vaccines, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and biosimilars, bi- and tri-specific fusion proteins, cytokines, natural killer cell checkpoint inhibitors and other biologic products.
The laboratory use of live natural killer cell cultures for functional assays, such as antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity, antibody-dependent cell-mediated viral inhibition and cytokine release assays, most closely approximates what one would actually see in target patient populations. Of all the sources of natural killer cells, Brink’s NK-92® natural killer cells are considered to be the gold standard when it comes to providing greater assay consistency and reproducibility, testing scalability, and reduced labor time and costs for laboratory scientists and technicians. These features give a competitive edge to companies licensed to use Brink’s NK-92® products.
Fresenius has joined the growing list of leading biotechnology companies that are using Brink’s NK-92® cell line for laboratory based bioanalytical testing.
“Since our proprietary NK-92® cell line provides unique advantages to commercial and academic researchers as well as commercial manufacturers, we are committed to making our bioanalytical testing solutions widely available to the public through standard licensing agreements using market-driven terms and conditions,” said Barry Simon, M.D., CEO of Brink Biologics and President of NantKwest. “A growing number of commercial large pharma, biotech and device companies are joining scores of academic researchers who have accessed our NK-92 based cell lines to facilitate their internal activities. Our affiliate, NantKwest, has manufactured more than three trillion GMP-grade NK-92® cells and hundreds of doses of clinical product have been administered to patients in clinical trials since 2017. This positions NK-92® well to grow as a leading functional cell-based testing platform to complement its role as a leading immunotherapy platform, currently under development. We are pleased to make our testing solution available to Fresenius to facilitate their research and development endeavors.”
About Brink Biologics
Brink Biologics, Inc. is a NantKwest, Inc. affiliated next-generation bioanalytical testing solutions company located in the Torrey Pines Biotechnology Science Park in San Diego, Calif. NK-92® cell lines are natural killer cell lines originating from a singular source, established in stable cultures under GLP & GMP conditions and further modified and assembled into distinct panels of cell-lines, suitable for a range of laboratory testing applications. These Neukopanel® cell lines include both CD16-free and CD16 expressing NK-92® cells, providing for the first time the means to establish a consistent, robust, and reliable assay for assessment of functional activity of a wide range of biologic agents. NEUKOPANEL is a trademark of Brink Biologics, Inc. For additional information and licensing inquiries, please visit www.brinkbiologics.com.
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 virally-induced infectious diseases. NantKwest is the leading producer of clinical dose forms of off-the-shelf natural killer cell therapies. The activated natural killer cell platform is designed to destroy cancer and virally-infected cells. The safety of these optimized, activated natural killer cells—as well as their activity against a broad range of cancers—has 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, NantKwest seeks to transform medicine by delivering living drugs-in-a-bag and bringing novel natural killer cell-based therapies to routine clinical care. NantKwest is a member of the NantWorks ecosystem of companies. For more information, please visit www.nantkwest.com
NK-92® and haNK® are registered trademarks of NantKwest, Inc.
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 NantKwest’s natural killer cells as well as other therapeutics and manufacturing challenges.
Forward-looking statements are based on management’s 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 NantKwest’s business are described in detail in its Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including in NantKwest’s 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.