Better Health for All

Nektar Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in oncology, immunology, and inflammatory diseases. All pipeline candidates, including REZPEG (NKTR-358) for atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, alopecia areata, and systemic lupus erythematosus, and NKTR-255 for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and bladder cancer, are designed to provide substantial health benefits.

REZPEG has shown dose-dependent improvement in key efficacy measures in atopic dermatitis. The company's entire business is devoted to health improvement, with no evidence of products or activities having negative health outcomes. The company conducts multiple Phase 1b and 2b clinical trials for its drug candidates, indicating a commitment to ethical research practices, though specific details on diversity or transparency are not provided.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Nektar Therapeutics reports a CEO-to-median employee pay ratio of 14:1, with the median worker pay at $216,654.

No regulatory actions, violations, fines, or compliance issues related to labor laws or human rights have been mentioned in the provided articles. The company recently underwent a significant restructuring, resulting in the layoff of 70% of its workforce, reducing headcount from 735 to 225 employees. Employee reviews indicate that 65% of employees would recommend working at Nektar, and compensation and benefits are rated 3.7/5. However, some reviews also mention high employee turnover and dissatisfaction with senior management.

Honest & Fair Business

Nektar Therapeutics' Corporate Governance Policy Statement (March 31, 2020) states that the company will develop and maintain whistleblower policies and procedures to report concerns, ensuring confidentiality and prohibiting retaliation.

However, there is no evidence of a hotline, independent investigation processes, or training, which places it at a basic level. The company filed a Form 8-K in April 2004 to restate its 2003 audited consolidated financial statements due to a revision in accounting for certain transactions, which is one restatement in a period of over 20 years. The 2020 Corporate Governance Policy defines independence criteria for directors, including compensation and revenue thresholds, and states the board will be composed of not less than the legally required percentage of independent directors, but does not provide a specific percentage of conflict-free board members. The company has a publicly available Code of Conduct and its Conflict Minerals Report for 2015-2016 details due diligence measures conforming to OECD guidance, relying on the Conflict-Free Smelter Program for third-party verification of smelters and using an external engineering firm to identify potential Conflict Minerals in its Covered Product. This indicates a policy for a specific area but not a comprehensive anti-corruption policy with regular training or risk assessments. The reliance on third-party programs for conflict minerals verification covers a specific ethical claim, but the extent of independent verification for all ethical claims is not specified.

Kind to Animals

No evidence was found in the provided articles regarding Nektar Therapeutics' performance on any of the 'Kind to Animals' KPIs.

The articles do not contain specific data points on cruelty-free certifications, alternative testing methods, humane certifications, wildlife conservation impact, ethical input substitution, supplier audits, cage-free sourcing, animal testing policy, animal testing volume, innovation investment in animal-free technologies, animal agriculture ethics, animal-free R&D collaboration, or public policy engagement related to animal welfare.

No War, No Weapons

Nektar Therapeutics conducts annual human-rights due diligence by surveying suppliers for 3TG conflict minerals originating in the DRC or adjoining countries, and is taking steps to mitigate risks.

The company's due diligence framework for conflict minerals was designed to conform to the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. Nektar relies on supply chain participants' survey results to perform due diligence, and requests suppliers to complete the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template developed by the Conflict Free Sourcing Initiative. The company has not provided a specific percentage of its supply chain certified conflict-free, but states that the PDDS device contains conflict minerals (gold, tantalum, tin, and tungsten) necessary for its functionality and production.

Planet-Friendly Business

Nektar Therapeutics has no Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) commitment, indicating a lack of validated science-based carbon reduction targets.

The company's carbon emissions data is not publicly available, and it is not participating in any tracked reduction initiatives. No other specific quantitative data related to environmental metrics such as renewable energy use, water use, or waste diversion is publicly available in the provided articles.