Business
Nkarta Promotes David R. Shook, M.D., to Chief Medical Officer
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nkarta, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered
About this update from Nkarta, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nkarta, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapies to treat cancer, today announced the promotion of David R. Shook, M.D., to the role of Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Shook has extensive expertise in cell therapy development and continues to lead Nkarta’s global clinical development and regulatory operations. “Dave has been a driving force behind the development and execution of Nkarta’s clinical strategy using off-the-shelf NK cell therapeutics since he joined our organization,” said Paul J. Hastings, President and CEO of Nkarta. “His expertise in the biology and engineering of NK cells, clinical development experience, and proven leadership will strengthen our mission to bring life-changing cell therapies to patients.” An early pioneer of NK cell therapy, Dr. Shook joined Nkarta in 2020 and was appointed as Vice President, Clinical Development in 2022. Prior to joining Nkarta, he designed and led multiple first-in-human cell therapy clinical trials, including the use of CD19 CAR-NK cells, and he remains a practicing pediatric oncologist and transplant physician. He was a fellow, fellowship director and faculty member at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he conducted research in the laboratory of Dario Campana, M.D., Ph.D., Nkarta’s scientific founder. Dr. Campana and Dr. Shook co-developed the membrane bound form of interleukin-15 (IL-15), a key component of Nkarta’s engineered NK cell platform technology. He received an M.D. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a B.S. from Purdue University. “Our advanced technology platform and highly scalable manufacturing process have culminated in ongoing clinical programs advancing two first-in-class cell therapy candidates, each with early compelling data. Nkarta is well positioned to lead the next generation of cell therapies and make a meaningful impact on underserved therapeutic areas, harnessing the potential safety and dosing advantages of NK cells,\" said Dr. Shook. “I’m excited to continue working with our talented clinical team, investigators, and my fellow leaders at Nkarta to realize the profound potential of our programs to transform patient care.” About Nkarta Nkarta is a clinical-stage biotechnology company...