FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Nicholson John   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS [NKTR] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) SVP & Chief Operating Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS, 455 MISSION BAY BOULEVARD SOUTH 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/02/2017 (Street) SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 02/02/2017   M(1)   66,495 (1) A $ 4.65 206,821 D   Common Stock 02/02/2017   S(1)   66,495 (1) D $ 12.38 (2) 140,326 D   Common Stock 02/03/2017   M(1)   8,505 (1) A $ 4.65 148,831 D   Common Stock 02/03/2017   S(1)   8,505 (1) D $ 12.48 (3) 140,326 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Employee Stock Option (right to buy)

$ 4.65

02/02/2017

M(1)

66,495

(4)

02/22/2017

Common Stock

66,495

$ 0

53,505

D

Employee Stock Option (right to buy)

$ 4.65

02/03/2017

M(1)

8,505

(4)

02/22/2017

Common Stock

8,505

$ 0

45,000

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Nicholson John C/O NEKTAR THERAPEUTICS 455 MISSION BAY BOULEVARD SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158			SVP & Chief Operating Officer

Signatures

Mark A. Wilson, Attorney-in-Fact		02/06/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	The Reporting Person exercised and sold a portion of the Shares of common stock subject to this stock option that expires on February 22, 2017, with the objective of using substantially all of the proceeds to cover the exercise price of the entire stock option and applicable withholding taxes.
(2)	This price reflects the weighted average sale price for open-market sales of Shares made by the Reporting Person on February 2, 2017. The actual prices for these transactions range from $12.20 to $12.45, inclusive. The Reporting Person further undertakes to provide upon request by the Commission staff, the Issuer, or a security holder of the Issuer, full information regarding the number of Shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnotes (2) and (3) to this Form 4.
(3)	This price reflects the weighted average sale price for open-market sales of Shares made by the Reporting Person on February 3, 2017. The actual prices for these transactions range from $12.45 to $12.51, inclusive.
(4)	This stock option became fully vested on February 23, 2013 and will expire on February 22, 2017 if not exercised.

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