Brink Biologics Announces Research License Agreement with Worcester Polytechnic Institute for Use of NantKwest’s NK-92® Cells

NK-92® Cell Based Bioanalytical Solutions are the Key to
Optimizing R&D and Commercial Product Development Efforts for Monoclonal
Antibodies, Bi-Specifics and Related Biological Products

SAN DIEGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Brink
Biologics, Inc., a NantKwest,
Inc. (Nasdaq:NK) affiliate who serves as exclusively-licensed
distributor of NantKwest’s proprietary NK-92® natural killer cells,
offers a variety of research grade aNK™ and haNK® cell lines for
non-clinical laboratory use in discovery, translational and
developmental research and lot release testing for commercial products
ranging from monoclonal antibodies, bi-specific biologics, cytokines and
other bioactive products.

Using living cells for functional assays such as ADCC, ADCVI and
Cytokine Release Assays approximates closely what one would see in live
animal models. Through the use of NK-92® natural killer cells in these
assays, assay variability and unreliability are minimized. For this
reason, NK-92® cells are rapidly becoming the preferred next-generation
bioanalytical testing solution among large pharma commercial developers,
biosimilar developers, medical research institutions, universities and
the global research community.

Through a limited arrangement, Brink Biologics is pleased to announce
that the company has non-exclusively licensed its next generation
bioanalytical testing solution to Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).
The terms of the agreement are not disclosed.

Jeannine Coburn, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, will use the cells in her research into
the development of clinically translatable drug delivery strategies and
three-dimensional in vitro human disease models using
biologically-derived biomaterials.

“This agreement demonstrates the respect that research institutions have
for NantKwest’s proprietary rights in its innovative cell lines and
foundational technologies. Every laboratory should get its NK-92® cells
from Brink Biologics, which is the only licensed commercial and research
distributor of genuine NK-92®,” said Mark Kokes, Chief Intellectual
Property Officer of NantWorks, LLC, supporting Brink Biologics and
NantKwest.

Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, Chairman and CEO of NantKwest added, “With over
200 publications citing the use of NantKwest’s NK-92® cells, the unique,
enabling and proprietary characteristics of these novel natural killer
cells are well established. NK-92® cell-supported assays have become the
trusted and increasingly popular choice of large pharma and biotech
companies for their growing antibody development programs and commercial
product release testing.”

Dr. Soon-Shiong continued, “These novel and proprietary cells form the
foundation for NantKwest’s clinical-stage aNK™, haNK®, and t-haNK™
natural killer cell-based therapeutics programs and, through Brink
Biologics’ offering, they also represent a unique, next generation
bioanalytical testing solution. We are therefore very pleased to
announce this license agreement with Worcester Polytechnic Institute.”

About Brink Biologics

Brink Biologics, Inc. (BBI) is a NantKwest, Inc. (NASDAQ: NK) affiliated
next-generation bioanalytical testing solutions company located in the
prestigious Torrey Pines biotechnology science park in San Diego, CA.
NK-92® cells, aNK™ and haNK® cells are natural killer cell lines
originating from a singular source, established in stable cultures under
GLP & cGMP conditions and further modified and assembled into distinct
panels of cell-lines, suitable for a range of laboratory testing
applications. These Neukopanel® Cell Lines include CD16 expressing
NK-92® cell lines, providing for the first time the means to establish a
consistent, robust, and reliable assay for assessment of ADCC activity.

NEUKOPANEL is a trademark of Brink Biologics, Inc.

For additional information and licensing inquiries, please visit www.brinkbiologics.com.

About NantKwest Inc.

NantKwest, a member of the NantWorks ecosystem of companies, is an
innovative clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on harnessing
the power of the innate immune system by using the natural killer cell
to treat cancer and virally induced infectious diseases.

NantKwest is uniquely positioned to implement precision cancer medicine,
with the potential to change the current paradigm of cancer care.
Natural Killer (NK) cells are a safeguard in the human body designed to
recognize and detect cells under stress due to cancer or viral
infection. NantKwest’s “off-the-shelf” activated NK cell platform is
designed to destroy cancer and virally infected cells from the body. The
safety of our NK cells as well as their activity against a broad range
of cancers have been tested in phase I clinical trials in Canada and
Europe as well as in multiple phase I and II clinical trials in the
United States. In addition to being a universal cell-based therapy that
does not require individualized patient sourcing or matching, our NK
cell products have been largely administered in the outpatient setting
as an “off-the-shelf” living drug.

With the capacity to grow active killer cells as a living cancer
therapy, our NK cells have been designed to induce cell death against
cancers and virally infected cells by several mechanisms, including: (i)
innate killing, whereby all of our NK platforms recognize the stress
proteins typically found on cancer cells, which, upon binding, release
toxic granules to immediately kill their targets; (ii) antibody-mediated
killing with our haNK® platform, which are NK cells engineered to
express antibody receptors that can bind to therapeutic antibody
products, thereby enhancing the cancer cell killing effect of that
antibody; and (iii) Chimeric Antigen Receptor directed killing using the
taNK® platform, which includes NK cells engineered to incorporate
chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to target tumor-specific antigens
found on the surface of cancer cells. All three modes of killing
(innate, antibody-mediated, and CAR directed killing) are employed by
our t-haNK™ platform, which is an innovative combination of our aNK,
haNK® and taNK® platforms in a single product.

Our haNK®, and t-haNK™ platforms have been designed to address certain
limitations of CAR T-cell therapy including the capability to infuse
cell therapy in an outpatient setting which allows for potential
reduction of risk for serious cytokine storms and protracted serious
adverse events. In Phase I and II clinical trials in patients with late
stage cancer, our NK cells have been administered as an investigational
outpatient infusion safely with greater than 300 infusions to date at a
dose of 2 billion cells per infusion.

By leveraging an integrated and extensive genomics and transcriptomics
discovery and development engine, together with a pipeline of multiple,
clinical-stage, immuno-oncology programs, we believe NantKwest is
uniquely positioned to be the premier immunotherapy company and
transform medicine by delivering living drugs in a bag and bringing
novel NK cell-based therapies to routine clinical care.

NK-92, aNK, haNK, taNK, and t-haNK are trademarks of NantKwest, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements include statements concerning or implying the
Company will be successful in improving the treatment of cancer. Risks
and uncertainties related to this endeavor include, but are not limited
to, obtaining FDA approval of our NK cells as well as other therapeutics
as part of the NANT Cancer Vaccine platform as a cancer treatment.

Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current
expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly,
these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future
performance, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements.

These and other risks regarding our business are described in detail in
our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including in our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we
disclaim any obligation to update these statements except as may be
required by law.

Contacts

Media Contact:
Jen Hodson
562-397-3639
[email protected]