New Survey Reveals Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients Seek More Care Conversations

• Insights show patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer want to explore new treatment options, yet fewer than one in five say their doctors discuss all available procedures/treatments at most or every visit
• Nearly three in four patients said they would choose intravesical chemotherapy only as a last resort, rather than earlier in their treatment journey
• Over 80% believe immunotherapy has fewer side effects than chemotherapy, and 72% of immunotherapy recipients are satisfied with the duration of positive treatment effects*
• As bladder cancer rates continue to rise in the United States, ensuring access to innovative therapies that can improve long-term outcomes has become increasingly critical

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A new U.S. survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) reveals that many people living with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) feel left out of critical treatment conversations. Fewer than one in five patients surveyed (18%) report their healthcare providers (HCPs) discuss all available treatment options during most or every visit. More than four in five (84%) believe immunotherapy has fewer side effects than chemotherapy, with 72% of those who received immunotherapy expressing satisfaction with the duration of positive treatment effects. The findings highlight a pressing need for more open dialogue and greater awareness of innovative therapies in treating NMIBC.

Bladder cancer is a serious public health concern, ranking as the seventh-most common cancer overall and the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in men.¹ Bladder cancer is also on the rise in the United States.¹ The American Cancer Society projects that more than 84,000 patients will be diagnosed in 2025.² Approximately 70% of these patients will have NMIBC, which is cancer that has grown only on the lining of the bladder and not into the muscle layer underneath, and is the most common form of bladder cancer.³

Patient and HCP Relationships: A Notable Disconnect

Only 18% of NMIBC patients say they have frequent discussions with their HCPs about all available procedures/treatment options for NMIBC during most or every visit, yet most patients (92%) say they rely on information from HCPs to guide treatment decisions, with few saying they rely on other sources outside of conversations with their HCPs, such as patient advocacy groups (6%). Nearly two in three patients who have not had a full cystectomy (64%) remain unsure which treatments are still effective for their type or stage of NMIBC.

Patients Are Looking for Alternatives to Chemotherapy

Nearly six in 10 NMIBC patients (58%) say their HCPs discussed/provided information on chemotherapy before their first (initial) round of procedure(s) and/or treatment(s), even though nearly three out of four (72%) would prefer this option only as a last resort rather than earlier in their treatment. More than four in five (81%) are interested in trying new/different treatments, and the majority of patients who have not had a full cystectomy (89%) say they would try anything to avoid removal of their bladder (cystectomy). Almost all patients (97%) report that it is important that a treatment works quickly to stop or slow disease progression, and a similar proportion (94%) indicate it is important that a treatment have long-lasting duration of positive effects. Nine in 10 (90%) would be willing to receive a treatment more frequently if it had longer lasting effects than other therapeutic options.

Immunotherapy Offers Renewed Hope

The vast majority of patients (89%) regard using a treatment that enhances their body's immune system to fight cancer (i.e., immunotherapy) as cutting-edge. More than four in five (84%) believe this treatment modality has fewer side effects than chemotherapy. Among those who received immunotherapy¹, 72% express satisfaction with the duration of positive treatment effects, such as cystectomy avoidance and disease-free survival, while two out of three are satisfied with the speed at which it stops or slows disease progression.

“This survey highlights the urgent need for patients and providers to engage in deeper, more collaborative conversations about all treatment choices for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer,” said Richard Adcock, President and CEO of ImmunityBio. “Immunotherapy is empowering the body’s own defenses to fight bladder cancer, offering real hope for patients who have run out of options. At ImmunityBio, we’re committed to advancing science that transforms these insights into life-changing care.”

About the Survey

The research was conducted online in the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of ImmunityBio among 200 US adults 18+ who were diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The survey was conducted 9/3-10/1/2025. Raw data were not weighted and are therefore only representative of the individuals who completed the survey. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Poll surveys.

The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within ± 6.9 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments.

References

1. Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. Bladder Cancer Cases Expected to Rise in 2025, ACS Reports. January 21, 2025. Available at https://bcan.org/bladder-cancer-cases-expected-to-rise-in-2025-acs-reports/
2. American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Bladder Cancer. Last revised January 22, 2025. Available at https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/bladder-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
3. Leyderman, M., Chandrasekar, T., Grivas, P. et al. Metastasis development in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Nat Rev Urol 22, 375–386 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-024-00963-y

About ImmunityBio

ImmunityBio is a vertically-integrated commercial stage biotechnology company developing next-generation therapies that bolster the natural immune system to defeat cancers and infectious diseases. The Company’s range of immunotherapy and cell therapy platforms, alone and together, act to drive and sustain an immune response with the goal of creating durable and safe protection against disease. Designated an FDA Breakthrough Therapy, ANKTIVA is the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer CIS that activates NK cells, T cells, and memory T cells for a long-duration response. The Company is applying its science and platforms to treating cancers, including the development of potential cancer vaccines, as well as developing immunotherapies and cell therapies that we believe sharply reduce or eliminate the need for standard high-dose chemotherapy. These platforms and their associated product candidates are designed to be more effective, accessible, and easily administered than current standards of care in oncology and infectious diseases. For more information, visit ImmunityBio.com (Founder’s Vision) and connect with us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements regarding survey data from a Harris Poll and potential implications to be drawn therefrom, statements about how patients living with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer view care options, chemotherapy, cystectomy, and immunotherapy and potential implications to be drawn therefrom, the development of therapeutics for cancer and infectious diseases, potential benefits to patients, potential treatment outcomes for patients, the described mechanism of action and results and contributions therefrom, the application of the Company’s science and platforms to treat cancers or develop cancer vaccines, immunotherapies and cell therapies that has the potential to change the paradigm in cancer care, and ImmunityBio’s approved product and investigational agents as compared to existing treatment options, among others. Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are considered forward-looking statements, which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues,” “goal,” “could,” “estimates,” “scheduled,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “indicate,” “projects,” “is,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” “strategy,” and variations of such words or similar expressions.

Statements of past performance, efforts, or results of our preclinical and clinical trials, about which inferences or assumptions may be made, can also be forward-looking statements and are not indicative of future performance or results. Forward-looking statements are neither forecasts, promises nor guarantees, and are based on the current beliefs of ImmunityBio’s management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to ImmunityBio. Such information may be limited or incomplete, and ImmunityBio’s statements should not be read to indicate that it has conducted a thorough inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. Such statements reflect the current views of ImmunityBio with respect to future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, including business, regulatory, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties, contingencies and assumptions about ImmunityBio, including, without limitation, (i) risks and uncertainties regarding participation and enrollment and potential results from the clinical trial described herein, (ii) whether clinical trials will result in registrational pathways, (iii) whether clinical trial data will be accepted by regulatory agencies, (iv) the ability of ImmunityBio to fund its ongoing and anticipated clinical trials, (v) the ability of ImmunityBio to continue its planned preclinical and clinical development of its development programs through itself and/or its investigators, and the timing and success of any such continued preclinical and clinical development, patient enrollment and planned regulatory submissions, (vi) potential delays in product availability and regulatory approvals, (vii) ImmunityBio’s ability to retain and hire key personnel, (viii) ImmunityBio’s ability to obtain additional financing to fund its operations and complete the development and commercialization of its various product candidates, (ix) potential product shortages or manufacturing disruptions that may impact the availability and timing of product, (x) ImmunityBio’s ability to successfully commercialize its approved product and product candidates, (xi) ImmunityBio’s ability to scale its manufacturing and commercial supply operations for its approved product and future approved products, and (xii) ImmunityBio’s ability to obtain, maintain, protect, and enforce patent protection and other proprietary rights for its product candidates and technologies. More details about these and other risks that may impact ImmunityBio’s business are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2025, and the Company’s Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 5, 2025 and in subsequent filings made by ImmunityBio with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. ImmunityBio cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. ImmunityBio does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement or other information in this press release, except to the extent required by law.

^*Patient sample size n=<50

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ImmunityBio Contacts:

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ImmunityBio, Inc.

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Source: ImmunityBio, Inc.