In my outlook in my Deep Dive, I pointed out that I see great opportunities in the biotechnology sector. Therefore, the first tranches in $MIRM (-2,15 %) and in $NKTR (-5,41 %) will find their way into my portfolio on Friday. I would like to introduce you $NKTR (-5,41 %) a little closer.
NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS | A419UB Nektar Therapeutics could shake up the biotech sector.
shake up the biotech sector. The company is focusing
innovative approach to atopic dermatitis and is therefore attacking
established top players in the market.
The biotech sector has made an impressive comeback in 2025.
impressive comeback in 2025. After lean years following the coronavirus crisis, capital is once again flowing into innovative drug developers, clinical
successes are being rewarded - and investors are specifically looking for the next beacons of hope. And here I have identified an exciting stock that could cause a sensation in the current and coming years: the US biotech company Nektar
Therapeutics.
Nektar develops innovative therapies that specifically modulate the immune system
to treat diseases such as autoimmune disorders, chronic inflammation and cancer. The most advanced project, Rezpegaldesleukin, is aimed, among other things, at the
treatment of the widespread disease atopic dermatitis (AD). Patients are subject to a high level of suffering, and better treatment options are the great hope. Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common
most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Worldwide
It is estimated that over 200 million people are affected worldwide, including many children and adolescents. Severe itching, inflamed skin, sleep disorders and psychological stress characterize the everyday lives of patients. Therapeutically, some progress has been made in recent years - for example with biologics such as Dupixent from Sanofi/Regeneron,
which is one of the best-selling drugs in the world,
or modern JAK inhibitors such as Rinvoq from AbbVie. Nevertheless:
Not every patient responds adequately, side effects remain
side effects remain an issue and the need for new, better tolerated therapeutic approaches continues unabated.
T h i s is why Nektar Therap e u t i c s a r e a . The beacon of hope
Rezpegaldesleukin pursues a novel immunological mechanism.
The aim is to activate regulatory T-cells in a targeted manner and thus restore the
to bring the misdirected immune system back into balance - an approach
approach that clearly differs from existing therapies.
The clinical data to date is very encouraging. Data from the Phase
2 study Rezolve-AD showed that Rezpegaldesleukin can seriously compete with Dupixent - the popular eczema drug from
Regeneron and Sanofi, which generated 14.2 billion dollars in sales last year. In the study, 42 percent of patients on the highest
with the highest tested dose achieved skin healing of 75 percent after 16 weeks.
of 75 percent. Jennifer Ruddock, Chief Business Officer of Nektar,
expressed her satisfaction: "We examined 400 patients and determined a dose of 24 micrograms every two weeks, which will be taken into phase 3.
phase. This dose met all primary and secondary endpoints. Mechanistically, we are different from existing agents such as Dupixent, LEO Pharma's Adbry and Galderma's IL31 inhibitor. Our itch reduction was even stronger
than Galderma's and that without topical steroids." Remarkable
participants who continued the treatment achieved even more pronounced effects.
even more pronounced effects.
Another plus point is also emerging. Many neurodermatitis
patients also suffer from asthma. Ruddock explains: "Around 25
percent of AD patients suffer from asthma. Our mechanism of action is broad and initial phase 2 analyses indicate a significant benefit in AD patients who also suffer from asthma.
who also suffer from asthma. None of the currently approved IL-13
or non-IL-13 drugs currently approved, other than
Dupixent has shown efficacy in both conditions." The fast-track classification of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides an additional tailwind. This is
only awarded if a drug either addresses a high unmet medical need or has potentially clear
unmet medical need or potentially offers clear advantages over existing therapies.
therapies - a strong signal in favor of
for Nektar's approach.
More than just atopic dermatitis
Rezpegaldesleukin is used in parallel
is also being investigated in parallel for alopecia areata (circular hair loss) and type 1 diabetes. Here there were recently
results of a recent study which, despite
clearly hopeful despite certain drawbacks. The analysts at Oppenheimer then increased the
probability of success for this
indication to 50 percent and the target price was raised from 98 to 115 dollars. The analyst firm H.C. Wainwright even sees potential up to 135
dollars. In the area of alopecia areata
Wainwright estimates that by 2035
a sales potential of 380 million dollars by 2035.
In addition, the company is working with NKTR-255 on an immuno-oncological
immuno-oncology approach that has the
has the potential to complement existing cancer therapies. These projects
underscore Nektar's broad capabilities in the field of innovative immunomodulation and beyond.
and beyond. Numerous other
exciting projects are currently
currently in the preclinical phase.
- For me, the share is therefore a speculative
doubling candidate!
Nektar Therapeutics has an
an exciting technology. Four
projects are already at an advanced stage. Should recpe-
galdesleukin confirms its potential, Nektar Therapeutics' project could become a
Therapeutics' project could become a serious challenger to established blockbusters.
blockbusters. In this case
the company would be clearly undervalued with a current market capitalization of only
753 million euros, the company would be clearly undervalued.
undervalued. If successful, the share has clear
doubling potential. However
the project could also fail. This share is therefore only for clearly speculative investors. You should keep that
keep this in mind.
There was also a detailed interview with the CBO in Aktionär at the end of November. Here is the link:
https://www.deraktionaer.de/aktien/kurse/nektartherapeutics-US6402683063.html
I find biotech stocks more interesting when they are researching products for a mass market. And in my view, neurodermatitis is a widespread disease that is becoming more and more widespread due to environmental influences.
Of course, as always, this is not investment advice. You make your own decisions.