10:08 AM EDT, 06/27/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Nkarta ( NKTX ) said Thursday it has initiated Ntrust-1, a multi-center trial of its cell therapy NKX019 for lupus nephritis, a type of kidney disease, with the first patient now in screening.

Nkarta ( NKTX ) also said the Food and Drug Administration has cleared its second investigational new drug application for NKX019 in autoimmune disease and that it is planning to initiate Ntrust-2, an open-label, multi-center trial of NKX019 for autoimmune diseases like systemic sclerosis and idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Both Ntrust-1 and Ntrust-2 will assess the safety of NKX019 in autoimmune diseases and its ability to achieve long-term remissions by eliminating pathogenic B cells, the company said.

Shares of Nkarta ( NKTX ) were up 2% in recent trading.

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