12:33 PM EDT, August 26, 2025 (Benzinga Newswire)
ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) shares are trading higher Tuesday after the company announced its chemotherapy-free combination showed 100% disease control results and is planning a Phase 2 trial.
What To Know: ImmunityBio reported early findings from five patients with recurrent glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer, who were treated with its immune-boosting regimen combining ANKTIVA, natural killer cell therapy and the Optune Gio device. All five patients showed disease control, including two with near-complete responses and three with either partial response or stable disease.
The company said these results are highly encouraging given the limited treatment options for glioblastoma, which has one of the lowest survival rates among common brain tumors.
"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," said Dr. Simon Khagi, Medical Director of Neuro-Oncology at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute.
Based on the findings, ImmunityBio is moving forward with a randomized Phase 2 trial in patients whose disease has returned after standard treatment.
IBRX Price Action: At the time of writing, ImmunityBio shares are trading 4.44% higher at $2.35, according to data from Benzinga Pro.
Here is the same story being referenced by Business Wire
Initial Data Shows 100% Disease Control in 5 Out of 5 Patients With Recurrent Glioblastoma With Two Patients in Near Complete Response Treated With ImmunityBio's ANKTIVA®, NK Cell Therapy Plus Optune Gio® Device
Overview
- First chemotherapy-free trial combining ANKTIVA, an IL-15 agonist, natural killer (NK) cell therapy, and Optune immune-stimulating device for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors who have failed current standard of care
- Encouraging early results observed to date, including response in 3 of the subjects with 2 responders at near complete response and 2 with ongoing stable disease, representing 100 percent disease control
- ANKTIVA treatment increased absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) in all five patients who had experienced lymphopenia after standard of care radiation and chemotherapy
- Based on these early findings, ImmunityBio is initiating a randomized trial targeting second-line GBM patients who have recurring disease following standard of care
- Approximately 12,000 Americans are diagnosed annually with GBM, according to the American Brain Tumor Association, making it one of the most common types of brain tumor1
- GBM, which is typically diagnosed in older individuals, has the lowest five-year survival rate of any common brain tumor—just 9% for patients aged 45-54 and 6% for ages 55-64, according to the American Cancer Association2
ImmunityBio, Inc. (IBRX), a leading immunotherapy company, today announced early findings from the first five recurrent glioblastoma patients treated with its investigational immune-boosting regimen including ANKTIVA® (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln) in this pilot study (NCT06061809). All five patients achieved 100% disease control with the regimen that combines ANKTIVA, an IL-15 agonist being studied for its ability to enhance natural killer (NK) cell activity, NK cell therapy (PD-L1 t-haNK), and Optune Gio Tumor Treating Fields. Of the 5 patients treated to date, 3 responded of which 2 at near complete response and the remaining 2 having stable disease to date. This finding of 5 out of 5 (100%) disease control in 2nd line recurrent glioblastoma receiving a chemotherapy free immunotherapy with Optune immune stimulating device is highly encouraging.
We believe these early results of this combination immune-stimulating therapy are notable, given both the fact that GBM is a common form of brain tumor, as well as one that is exceptionally difficult to treat successfully with currently approved therapies. GBM has a single digit five-year survival rate for patients aged 45 and over. While the initial treatments in this trial involve a small cohort, the results are sufficiently encouraging for the company to plan a Phase 2 trial in second-line glioblastoma to further evaluate the potential for this combination treatment.
"GBM is a devastating type of brain cancer for which there are currently no durable treatment options, which is why this study has such important potential," said Dr. Simon Khagi, Medical Director of Neuro-Oncology at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute, and the Principal Investigator for this study. "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," he further stated. "There has been little advance in therapy for decades for glioblastoma. This chemotherapy free, immune-stimulating combination approach with ANKTIVA is highly promising and may represent a fundamental advance in therapy in patients with tumors of the brain."
"Although they are early, these results are very encouraging, given the high risk and low survival rates associated with GBM," added Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ImmunityBio. "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. We believe these preliminary results in patients with GBM, whose lymphocyte counts (NK and T cells) are low as a consequence of radiation and chemotherapy after first-line treatment, can be rescued following ANKTIVA and NK cell therapy, and warrant the rapid expansion of this study in recurrent glioblastoma."
From <https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/25/08/b47329704/initial-data-shows-100-disease-control-in-5-out-of-5-patients-with-recurrent-glioblastoma-with-two>
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