ImmunityBio Reports 100% Disease Control in Glioblastoma Patients Using ANKTIVA

ImmunityBio (IBRX) reports 100% disease control in 5 recurrent glioblastoma patients treated with its investigational immune-boosting regimen, combining ANKTIVA, NK cell therapy, and Optune Gio Tumor Treating Fields. The company is starting a randomized trial targeting second-line GBM patients. ImmunityBio is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing therapies for cancer and infectious diseases.

Culver City, CA - ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a leading immunotherapy company, has announced early findings from a pilot study on recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) patients. The study, which combined ANKTIVA (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln), an IL-15 agonist, NK cell therapy (PD-L1 t-haNK), and Optune Gio Tumor Treating Fields, achieved 100% disease control in all five patients treated. Among these, three patients responded with near complete response, while the remaining two had stable disease [1].

The pilot study, conducted under the clinical trial identifier NCT06061809, is a significant milestone in the treatment of GBM, a type of brain cancer with a dismal five-year survival rate for patients aged 45 and over. The combination therapy, which is chemotherapy-free, shows promise in tackling this challenging disease [1].

Dr. Simon Khagi, Medical Director of Neuro-Oncology at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute and Principal Investigator for the study, stated, "In my years of treating patients with glioblastoma, I have never experienced these near complete responses as well as the rapidity of the response as seen in these patients to date. This chemotherapy-free, immune-stimulating combination approach with ANKTIVA is highly promising and may represent a fundamental advance in therapy for patients with tumors of the brain" [1].

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman, and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ImmunityBio, added, "Although they are early, these results are very encouraging, given the high risk and low survival rates associated with GBM. There is compelling evidence that ANKTIVA's mechanism of proliferating NK and T cells plays an important role in treating patients with cancer independent of tumor type. By activating the immune system, the goal of providing durable responses is at hand" [1].

ImmunityBio is planning a Phase 2 trial to further evaluate the potential of this combination treatment in second-line GBM patients. The company's BioShield platform, which includes ANKTIVA, is designed to bolster the natural immune system to defeat cancers and infectious diseases [1].

References:
[1] https://www.marketscreener.com/news/initial-data-shows-100-disease-control-in-5-out-of-5-patients-with-recurrent-glioblastoma-with-two-ce7c50dedf81f72d