Nektar Readies Phase III Breast Cancer Trial Of NKTR-102, On Its Own

Nektar Therapeutics Inc. will launch the Phase III BEACON trial by the end of this year for its NKTR-102, a next-generation version of the now generic topoisomerase 1 inhibitor irinotecan (Pfizer Inc.’s Camptosar). The trial, in pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients, will have a raft of endpoints designed to help gain acceptance in the crowded field.