NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

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The deals just keep getting bigger! In today's news

Bristol-Myers Squibb makes history with major multibillion-dollar Nektar drug pact Feb 14, 2018 6:59amby Nick Paul Taylor |
Feb 14, 2018 6:59am

Bristol-Myers is paying $1 billion upfront and buying $850 million in Nektar stock at a 36% premium. (Image: Nektar)
Bristol-Myers Squibb is paying Nektar Therapeutics $1 billion to develop NKTR-214 in combination with Opdivo and Yervoy. All told, Bristol-Myers is committing $3.6 billion to a deal that gives Nektar the lion’s share of NKTR-214 profits and leaves it some freedom to develop the drug in combination with other assets.
Nektar demonstrated the potential of combining immunostimulatory therapy NKTR-214 with Opdivo in November. A phase 1/2 trial of the combination reported objective response rates spanning from 46% to 75% in a range of advanced tumor types, including renal cell carcinoma, melanoma and PD-L1 negative non-small cell lung cancer. The data validated the idea that NKTR-214 boosts the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors such as Opdivo by expanding NK and T cells and boosting PD-1 expression.
With Bristol-Myers searching for an edge over Merck’s Keytruda and other rival checkpoint inhibitors, the early data have proven compelling enough to encourage it to strike a deal for the asset. Bristol-Myers is paying $1 billion upfront and buying $850 million in Nektar stock at a 36% premium. The Big Pharma will also hand over up to $1.8 billion more in milestones, 80% of which are tied to clinical and regulatory events. The remaining 20% are more distant sales milestones.
The deal is a record-breaker, being the largest biotech licensing fee in history....

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/bristol-myers-to-pay-1b-upfront-for-stake-nektar-drug?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT0RjME16WTJNR1EyWkRGbSIsInQiOiJ0RGE3M1VDd2JuXC9ZalNCTk51dUVyemVuc2M3c1pXQko0YVpGNFpieHlleGJtdlhZWnRXeGNySVpBVmVZd0dJVkxCUElSQjNGYzhhVFYxelNWZ0h1WFJJb3VCMmFYZlwvODh2MnN5VkVneERFeE5SN0ZYWnZTdDdJeEtQdEc5eExqIn0%3D&mrkid=899996