Product Pipeline

Conkwest’s portfolio of products includes the original Neukoplast cell line, currently in clinical trials, and several genetically modified lines. These modifications impart additional cancer killing features, each geared towards specific cancer applications.

Neukoplast

The most advanced in clinical development, Neukoplast is the native cell-line, which has been used in patients with leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma and cancers of the lung, and kidney.

Two phase I clinical trials with Neukoplast have been completed and two more Phase I trials are ongoing, with a Phase II study in Merkel Cell Carcinoma also in development. To date, Neukoplast has consistently demonstrated promising clinical activity in addition to an excellent safety profile.

CAR-Neukoplast

CAR-Neukoplast is a family of engineered Neukoplast cell lines specifically designed to target proteins found only on certain cancers. These targeting modifications enhance Neukoplast’s killing capacity against some of the most resistant cancer types.

Of the CAR-Neukoplast family of products, the most advanced cell line in development expresses a receptor for ErbB2/HER2, commonly found on cancers of the breast, ovary, prostate, and glioblastoma.

NK-92.ErbB2/HER2 is currently in preclinical development in the Retarget-IT program with a collaborator in Frankfurt, Germany.

CD16-Neukoplast

CD16-Neukoplast is an engineered Neukoplast cell line that is able to bind directly to antibodies such as Herceptin®, Rituxan®, Erbitux®, as well as many other, markedly enhancing their cancer killing effects.

Approximately half of all cancer patients receiving antibody therapies do not optimally utilize the critical ADCC pathway to rid the body of cancer.

CD16-Neukoplast exclusively possesses the high affinity genotype to most effectively work in concert with antibody therapies such as Rituxan® to eliminate cancer.

Presently, CD16-Neukoplast is undergoing preclinical evaluation to determine its utility when combined with anti-CD123 to target leukemic stem cells.

In addition to therapeutic applications, CD16-Neukoplast is becoming increasingly recognized as a preferred cytotoxicity testing tool.