Nektar Therapeutics Announces Second Quarter 20...( SAN CARLOS Calif. Aug. 6 /- Nekta...),Health

SAN CARLOS, Calif., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) today announced the company's financial results for the second quarter and six-months ended June 30, 2008.

Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments were $373.9 million at June 30, 2008 compared to $412.6 million at March 31, 2008.

Revenue for the three month period ended June 30, 2008 was $20.4 million compared to revenue of $65.9 million in the second quarter of 2007. For the first half of 2008, revenue was $40.4 million as compared to $150.9 million in the same period of 2007. This decrease in revenue is the result of lower product manufacturing revenues due to the termination of the Exubera collaboration by Pfizer in late 2007.

Nektar has made significant improvements to our operating efficiencies as compared to a year ago. For the first half of 2008, the company's general and administrative expense was $24.8 million as compared to $29.9 million for the same period a year ago. Research and development expense was $70.9 million in the first half of 2008 as compared to $78.5 million for the same six month period in 2007. Included in the $70.9 million of overall research and development spending is approximately $32 million of new investments in Nektar's preclinical and clinical development programs.

Nektar reported a net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2008 of $33.4 million or $0.36 per share, compared to a net loss of $27.5 million or $0.30 per share in the second quarter of 2007. For the first half of 2008, the company reported a net loss of $74.1 million or $0.80 per share, compared to a net loss of $53.2 million or $0.58 per share for the same period in 2007.

The increase in net loss for the second
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