Atara Bio Announces Collaborating Investigators to Present Data from a Late Breaking Abstract at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting

Presentation to Report Clinical Trial Results in Nasopharyngeal Cancer

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 16, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATRA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing meaningful therapies for patients with severe and life-threatening diseases that have been underserved by scientific innovation, today announced that its collaborating investigators at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute will present data on autologous targeted EBV-CTLs in a Clinical Trials Minisymposium Session at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2016 Annual Meeting, which will be held in New Orleans, LA, April 16-20, 2016. The presentation will report clinical results on the use of EBV-CTLs to treat patients with EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which accounts for approximately 6,000 cases annually in the US and EU combined and approximately 80,000 cases worldwide.

“We are encouraged by these results. We believe these clinical findings in NPC may extend the reach of Atara Bio’s cellular therapy platform from hematologic malignancies to solid tumors,” said Isaac Ciechanover, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Atara Bio. 

In October 2015, Atara Bio and QIMR Berghofer entered into exclusive license and research agreements under which Atara Bio has exclusive, worldwide rights to develop and commercialize allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", CTLs targeted to multiple epitopes of the Epstein-Barr virus utilizing technology developed by QIMR Berghofer.  The QIMR Berghofer technology complements Atara Bio's ongoing CTL development efforts by selectively targeting specific epitopes and antigens of EBV that are associated with NPC and other diseases.  Additional applications for which the technology may be appropriate include the treatment of gastric cancer, as well as certain autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Atara Bio anticipates filing an IND for allogeneic targeted EBV-CTLs in 2017. In addition, Atara Bio has an option to license the autologous targeted EBV-CTL product candidate from QIMR Berghofer.

Details of the presentation are as follows:

Title:  Therapeutic and Prophylactic AdE1-LMPpoly-Based Adoptive T cell Immunotherapy for Epstein–Barr Virus-Associated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 19, 2016, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Central Time
Publication Number: CT136
Session Title: Early Clinical Trials Evaluating Cell-based, Checkpoint Inhibitors, and Novel Immunotherapeutics
Session Type: Clinical Trials Minisymposium
Location: Room 343, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA
Authors: C. Smith, A. Schuessler, J. Tsang, L. Beagley, V. Lee, B. Panizza, S. Porceddu, J. Nicholls, D. Kwong, and R. Khanna

The full text of the abstract will be available on the AACR website at 4:30 P.M. Eastern Time on Friday, April 15, 2016.

About Targeted EBV-CTL

T-cells are a critical component of the body's immune system and can be harnessed to counteract viral infections and some cancers. By focusing the T-cells on specific proteins involved in cancers and infections, the power of the immune system can be employed to combat these diseases. Atara's targeted EBV-CTL utilizes a technology in which T-cells are collected from the blood of third-party donors and then activated to recognize specific epitopes of select EBV antigens implicated in certain solid tumors and autoimmune disorders such as NPC, gastric cancer, and multiple sclerosis. The resulting activated T-cells are then expanded, characterized, and stored for future therapeutic use in an appropriate partially human leukocyte antigen, or HLA, matched patient, providing an “off-the-shelf”, allogeneic, cellular therapeutic option for patients.

About Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing meaningful therapies for patients with severe and life-threatening diseases that have been underserved by scientific innovation, with an initial focus on immunotherapy and oncology. Atara Bio’s programs include T-cell product candidates and molecularly targeted product candidates. The T-cell product candidates include EBV-CTL, CMV-CTL and WT1-CTL and harness the power of the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells and cells infected with certain viruses. The molecularly targeted product candidates include STM 434. These product candidates target activin and myostatin, members of the TGF-beta family of proteins, and have demonstrated the potential to have therapeutic benefit in a number of clinical indications.

About QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

The QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute is a world leading translational research institute focused on cancer, infectious diseases, mental health and a range of complex disorders. Working in close collaboration with clinicians and other research institutes, our aim is to improve health by developing new diagnostics, better treatments and prevention strategies. The Institute's GMP facility, QGen Cell Therapeutics, is one of the largest facilities in Australia for the manufacture of cell therapies.  For more information about QIMR Berghofer, visit www.qimrberghofer.edu.au.

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 potential for Atara Bio’s collaborating investigators at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute to present data on autologous targeted EBV-CTLs in a Clinical Trials Minisymposium Session at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2016 Annual Meeting. 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 annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 4, 2016, 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:

Investors:
Steve Klass
212-213-0006 x331
sklass@burnsmc.com

Media:
Justin Jackson
212-213-0006 x327
jjackson@burnsmc.com

Released March 16, 2016