Nektar Reports That Nasdaq Halted Trading of Nektar Common Stock Today; FDA Advisory Committee Meeting to Discuss Exubera® Powder for Oral Inhalation

Business Wire, Sept 8, 2005

SAN CARLOS, Calif. -- Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq:NKTR) announced that Nasdaq has halted trading of Nektar common stock today, Thursday, September 8, 2005. The Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meets today to review and discuss the New Drug Application (NDA) for Exubera(R) (insulin (rDNA origin) powder for oral inhalation), an inhaleable, rapid-acting, dry powder insulin for the treatment of adults with diabetes.

About Nektar Therapeutics

Nektar Therapeutics enables high-value, differentiated therapeutics with its industry-leading drug delivery technologies, expertise and manufacturing capabilities. The world's top biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are developing new and better therapeutics using Nektar's advanced technologies and know-how. Nektar also develops its own products by applying its drug delivery technologies and its expertise to existing medicines to enhance performance, such as improving efficacy, safety and compliance.

This release contains forward-looking information about a product candidate which is under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Evaluation Agency that involves substantial risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, whether and when such regulatory authorities will approve the product candidate, their decisions regarding labeling and other matters that could affect its commercial potential as well as competitive developments.

This release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views as to Nektar's business strategy, product and technology development plans and funding collaborative arrangements, clinical trials, developments in connection with the regulatory approval process for Exubera. These forward-looking statements involve uncertainties and other risks that are detailed in Nektar's reports and other filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 2004 and its Quarterly Report on 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2005. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements.