ImmunityBio Announces ASCO Genitourinary Cancer Symposium Presentation of Phase 2/3 Trial for BCG Unresponsive Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer CIS with 71% Complete Response Rate
Summary
The data showed 51 out of 72 evaluable patients (71%), with 10.7 months median follow-up, had a complete response at any time to intravesical BCG plus N-803, also called Anktiva™ (95% confidence interval), meeting the primary endpoint of the study. “The high rates of complete response without serious adverse events indicates that the combination of BCG plus N-803 is a promising alternative to existing therapies and compares favorably to the other approved options valrubicin and pembrolizumab,” said presenting author Karim Chamie, M.D., Associate Professor of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Standard of care recommendations for these patients include lifetime invasive surveillance and rapid treatment of recurrences, creating a substantial financial burden and drastic impact on quality of life. The company’s immunotherapy platform activates both the innate (natural killer cell and macrophage) and adaptive (T-cell) immune systems to create long-term “immunological memory.” This novel approach is designed to eliminate the need for high-dose chemotherapy, improve upon the outcomes of current CAR T-cell therapies, and extend beyond checkpoint inhibitors. Anktiva™ (ImmunityBio’s lead cytokine infusion protein) is a novel interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist complex and has received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for BCG-unresponsive CIS non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).