Atara Bio’s Collaborating Investigators to Present Data From Two Cellular Therapy Product Candidates at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting 2015

Presentations Include Clinical and Preclinical Results in Oncology and Virus-Associated Diseases

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 05, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATRA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing meaningful therapies for patients with unmet medical needs in diseases that have seen limited therapeutic innovation, today announced that new data on two of its licensed clinical stage T-cell product candidates will be presented by its collaborating investigators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) during the 57^th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place in Orlando, Florida from December 5-8, 2015. The first presentation pertains to the use of Atara Bio’s Wilms’ Tumor 1 targeted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (WT1-CTL) in patients with refractory multiple myeloma, including plasma cell leukemia. The second and third presentations highlight the use of Atara Bio’s cytomegalovirus targeted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CMV-CTL) in patients with refractory CMV disease and the activity in an associated preclinical model.

“The versatility of our T-cell platform is highlighted at ASH this year with data on both viral and cellular targets” said Chris Haqq M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Atara Bio. “These presentations showcase the potential of our T-cell platform across indications.”

Details of the presentations are as follows:

Title:  Wilms’ Tumor 1 Protein Is Highly Expressed on Malignant Plasma Cells and Provides a Novel Target for Immunotherapeutic Approaches
Publication Number: 98
Session Type: Oral Session
Presenter: Guenther Koehne M.D., Ph.D.
Session Name: 703. Adoptive Immunotherapy: Clinical Studies
Session Date: Saturday, December 5, 2015
Session Time: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Presentation Time: 12:15 PM
Room: Orange County Convention Center, W314

Title: Successful Treatment of Refractory CMV Chorioretinitis and Meningoencephalitis with Adoptive Transfer of Third Party CMVpp65 Specific T-Cell Lines
Publication Number: 3157
Session Type: Poster
Presenter: Susan Prockop, M.D.
Session Name: 723. Clinical Allogeneic and Autologous Transplantation: Late Complications and Approaches to Disease Recurrence: Poster II
Session Date: Sunday, December 6, 2015
Session & Presentation Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Room: Orange County Convention Center, Hall A

Title: Adoptively Transferred CMV-Specific T-Cells Responsive to Immunodominant CMVpp65 Epitopes Extend Durable in-Vivo Suppression of Clonogenic CMVpp65 [+] Human Colon Carcinoma Cells in Comparison to T-Cells Responsive to Subdominant Epitopes
Publication Number: 4298
Session Type: Poster Presentation
Presenter: Aisha Hasan, M.D.
Session Name: 703. Adoptive Immunotherapy: Poster III
Session Date: Monday, December 7, 2015
Session & Presentation Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 
Room: Orange County Convention Center, Hall A

Abstracts will be published online in the December 3rd supplemental volume of Blood.

About WT1-CTL

Atara Bio’s WT1-CTL product candidate targets cancers expressing the antigen Wilms’ Tumor 1, or WT1. WT1 is an intracellular protein that is overexpressed in a number of cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, multiple myeloma, or MM, and non-small cell lung, breast, pancreatic, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. WT1-CTL is currently being studied in two ongoing Phase 1 clinical studies to test safety and initial anti-tumor efficacy of donor derived WT1-CTL in patients with AML and MM (NCT00620633 and NCT01758328).

About CMV-CTL

Atara Bio’s CMV-CTL product candidate targets cells infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV. In patients with weakened immune systems, CMV infection can result in a range of symptoms including blindness, brain damage, difficulty breathing, or even death, depending on which organ is affected. CMV antigens have been reported to be expressed in tumor cells from seropositive patients with certain malignancies, including glioblastoma, or GBM. CMV-CTL is currently being investigated in two Phase 2 clinical trials for CMV infections that occur in patients who have received an allogeneic stem cell transplant (NCT02136797 and NCT01646645).

About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing meaningful therapies for patients with unmet medical needs in diseases that have seen limited therapeutic innovation, with an initial focus on muscle wasting conditions, oncology and viral-associated diseases. Atara Bio’s programs include molecularly targeted product candidates and T-cell product candidates. Molecularly targeted product candidates include PINTA 745, STM 434 and ATA 842. These product candidates target myostatin and activin, members of the TGF-beta family of proteins, and have demonstrated the potential to have therapeutic benefit in a number of clinical indications. The T-cell product candidates include EBV-CTL, CMV-CTL and WT1-CTL.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains or may imply “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. For example, forward-looking statements include statements regarding the fact that these presentations showcase the potential of our T-cell platform across indications. Because such statements deal with future events and are based on Atara Bio’s current expectations, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, performance or achievements of Atara Bio could differ materially from those described in or implied by the statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Atara Bio’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 6, 2015, including the documents incorporated by reference therein, and subsequent filings with the SEC. Except as otherwise required by law, Atara Bio disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

INVESTOR & MEDIA CONTACT:
Tina Gullotta
Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.
650-741-1613
tgullotta@atarabio.com

Released November 5, 2015