ImmunityBio's Anktiva Combination Therapy Shows 100% Disease Control in Glioblastoma Trial

ImmunityBio's NK cell therapy Anktiva, combined with Novocure's Optune Gio Tumor Treating Fields, achieved 100% disease control in all five patients with recurrent glioblastoma in a trial. The trial did not involve any chemotherapy.

ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a leading immunotherapy company, has announced encouraging early results from a trial involving its investigational immune-boosting regimen, including Anktiva, an IL-15 agonist, and Optune Gio Tumor Treating Fields. The trial, which combined Anktiva, natural killer (NK) cell therapy, and Optune, achieved 100% disease control in all five patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) who had failed current standard of care. Notably, the trial did not involve any chemotherapy.

The study, conducted under the clinical trial identifier NCT06061809, enrolled five patients with recurrent GBM. All five patients achieved 100% disease control, with three patients showing a response to the treatment, including two patients with near complete response and two with stable disease. This preliminary data suggests that the combination therapy may be highly effective in treating GBM, which is known for its low five-year survival rate and lack of durable treatment options.

Dr. Simon Khagi, Medical Director of Neuro-Oncology at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute and the Principal Investigator for this 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." The combination of Anktiva and Optune is particularly promising as it offers a chemotherapy-free approach, which is a significant advancement given the high risk and low survival rates associated with GBM.

ImmunityBio's Anktiva is an IL-15 agonist that activates NK cells, T cells, and memory T cells, helping to overcome the tumor escape phase of clones resistant to T cells. Optune, a registered trademark of Novocure GmbH, is an immune-stimulating device that delivers low-intensity electric fields to tumors, enhancing the activity of immune cells.

The encouraging early results have led ImmunityBio to initiate a randomized Phase 2 trial targeting second-line GBM patients who have recurring disease following standard of care. The trial aims to further evaluate the potential of this combination treatment for GBM, a common form of brain tumor with a single-digit five-year survival rate for patients aged 45 and over.

For more information about this glioblastoma trial, visit clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06061809 and cssifm.org.

References:
[1] https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20250826147574/initial-data-shows-100-disease-control-in-5-out-of-5-patients-with-recurrent-glioblastoma-with-two-patients-in-near-complete-response-treated-with-immunitybios-anktiva-nk-cell-therapy-plus-optune-gio-device