Best-in-Class Real-World Data Support Early Amtagvi® Treatment in Advanced Melanoma
Rhea-AI Summary
Iovance (NASDAQ: IOVA) reported real-world, retrospective data showing Amtagvi (lifileucel) achieved a 44% confirmed objective response rate and 73% disease control rate in 41 evaluable advanced melanoma patients treated per U.S. prescribing information.
Response was higher when used earlier: 52% ORR after two or fewer prior therapies versus 33% ORR after three or more lines. The company cites prior trial results of ~31% ORR and a median duration of response of 36+ months with 20% five-year overall survival; a Phase 3 frontline trial is ongoing.
Positive
- Confirmed ORR of 44% in 41 real-world patients
- Higher ORR of 52% when used after ≤2 prior lines
- Disease control rate of 73%
- Published five-year durability: median DOR 36+ months and 20% five-year OS
- FDA accelerated approval in Feb 2024
Negative
- Small real-world cohort of 41 evaluable patients limits statistical power
- Retrospective, physician-assessed outcomes may lack randomized control
- ORR fell to 33% after ≥3 prior lines of therapy
- Approval based on accelerated pathway, requiring confirmatory Phase 3 data
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, IOVA declined 3.28%, reflecting a moderate negative market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +2.8% during that session. Our momentum scanner triggered 6 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement removed approximately $34M from the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $1.00B at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
IOVA fell 7.58% while key biotech peers showed mixed moves: several declined (e.g., SANA -11.25%, IMNM -8.26%, NKTR -6.6%) but EYPT rose 2.74%. This mix, plus a sector scanner flagging no momentum, points to stock-specific trading rather than a clear sector-wide move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16 | Inducement grants | Neutral | +3.4% | Routine inducement stock option grants to new non-executive employees. |
| Dec 19 | Inducement grants | Neutral | +12.1% | Additional inducement stock option grants under the 2021 Inducement Plan. |
| Nov 21 | Inducement grants | Neutral | +11.6% | Approval of further inducement stock options for multiple new employees. |
| Nov 06 | Earnings and update | Positive | +27.6% | Q3 2025 revenue growth, solid cash, Health Canada approval, and pipeline progress. |
| Nov 03 | Clinical trial data | Positive | -1.0% | Phase 2 NSCLC data showing 25.6% ORR and durable responses for lifileucel. |
Positive, data-rich or earnings-related updates have previously seen strong upside responses, while another positive clinical data release saw a slight decline, indicating mixed follow-through on good news.
Over the last six months, Iovance has alternated between routine corporate updates and key data/earnings milestones. An earnings report on Nov 6, 2025 highlighting Amtagvi commercialization and pipeline progress coincided with a +27.62% move. A positive NSCLC clinical update on Nov 3, 2025 saw a modest -1.02% reaction. More recent inducement grant announcements in Nov–Dec 2025 and Jan 2026 drew smaller positive moves. Today’s real-world melanoma data extends the efficacy narrative established by earlier lifileucel studies.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights strong real-world performance for Amtagvi in advanced melanoma, with a 44% objective response rate, 73% disease control, and durability supported by a prior median DOR of 36+ months and 20% five-year overall survival. Compared with the earlier C-144-01 ORR of 31%, the new data reinforce the therapy’s clinical profile. Investors may watch future updates from the TILVANCE-301 Phase 3 trial and ongoing commercialization metrics for further context.
Key Terms
objective response rate medical
disease control rate medical
unresectable medical
metastatic medical
accelerated approval regulatory
median duration of response medical
overall survival medical
Phase 3 clinical trial medical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
SAN CARLOS, Calif., Feb. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a commercial biotechnology company focused on innovating, developing, and delivering novel polyclonal tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies for patients with cancer, today announced data demonstrating a best-in-class profile for commercial Amtagvi® (lifileucel) with unprecedented response rates in a real-world clinical, retrospective study in patients with advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma. Amtagvi is the first one-time T cell therapy for a solid tumor cancer as well as the only FDA-approved treatment for advanced melanoma patients previously treated with anti-PD-1 and targeted therapy, where applicable.
The real-world results were highlighted in an oral presentation at the 2026 Tandem Meetings of the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT®) and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR®) in Salt Lake City, UT.
Forty-one evaluable patients with previously treated advanced melanoma received commercial Amtagvi according to the U.S. prescribing information at four authorized treatment centers. The physician-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was
Lilit Karapetyan, MD, MS of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute stated, “The real-world response rate builds on existing clinical data and supports consideration of lifileucel as soon as possible after immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. An overall response rate of
Daniel Kirby, Chief Commercial Officer of Iovance, stated, “The real world Amtagvi data with impressive response rates, paired with unprecedented five-year durability and survival data, demonstrate a best-in-class profile and better outcomes in patients treated earlier.”
Previously treated advanced melanoma represents an unmet medical need with more than 8,000 annual U.S. deaths.1 More than half of patients treated with first line standard of care will progress within 12 months.2 The U.S. FDA granted accelerated approval for Amtagvi in February 2024 based on ORR and duration of response (DOR) from the C-144-01 clinical trial. The published final five-year analysis demonstrated unprecedented durability and follow-up in previously treated advanced melanoma patients, with ~
1. National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. 2025 Estimates. https://seer.cancer.gov (accessed February 2026)
2. Larkin J, et al. NEJM; Robert C, et al. Lancet; Tawbi HA, et al. NEJM
3. Medina T, et al. JCO
About Amtagvi®
Amtagvi is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of skin cancer that cannot be removed surgically or has spread to other parts of the body called unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
Amtagvi is used when your melanoma has not responded or stopped responding to a PD-1 blocking drug either by itself or in a combination, and if your cancer is BRAF mutation positive, a BRAF inhibitor drug with or without a MEK inhibitor drug that has also stopped working.
The approval of Amtagvi is based on a study that measured response rate. Continued approval for this use may depend on the results of an ongoing study to confirm benefit.
Important Safety Information
What is the most important information that I should know about Amtagvi?
You will likely be in a hospital prior to and after receiving Amtagvi.
Before taking Amtagvi, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
- Have any lung, heart, liver or kidney problems
- Have low blood pressure
- Have a recent or active infection or other inflammatory conditions including cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, hepatitis B or C or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Are pregnant, think you may be pregnant, or plan to become pregnant
- Are breastfeeding
- Notice the symptoms of your cancer are getting worse
- Have had a vaccination in the past 28 days or plan to have one in the next few months
- Have been taking a blood thinner
Tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
How will I receive Amtagvi?
- Amtagvi is made from your surgically removed tumor. Tumor derived T cells are grown in a manufacturing center at the end of which they number in the billions of cells.
- Your tumor tissue is sent to a manufacturing center to make Amtagvi. It takes about 34 days from the time your tumor tissue is received at the manufacturing center until Amtagvi is available to be shipped back to your healthcare provider, but the time may vary. Your Amtagvi will be provided in 1-4 patient-specific infusion bag(s) containing 100 mL to 125 mL of viable (alive) cells per bag.
- After your Amtagvi arrives at your treating institution, your healthcare provider will give you lymphodepleting chemotherapy to prepare your body.
- Approximately 30 to 60 minutes before you are given Amtagvi, you may be given other medicines including:
- Medicines for an allergic reaction (anti-histamines)
- Medicines for fever (such as acetaminophen)
- Your Amtagvi will be provided in 1 to 4 infusion bag(s) containing 100 mL to 125 mL of viable cells per bag. When your body is ready for Amtagvi infusion, your healthcare provider will give Amtagvi to you by intravenous infusion. This usually takes less than 90 minutes.
After getting Amtagvi
Beginning 3 to 24 hours after Amtagvi is given, you may be given up to 6 doses of IL-2 (aldesleukin) every 8 to 12 hours via intravenous infusion. Your doctor may discontinue IL-2 (aldesleukin) infusion any time if you have severe side effects.
You will have to stay in the hospital until you have completed the IL-2 (aldesleukin) treatment and you have recovered from any serious side effects associated with the Amtagvi treatment.
You should plan to stay within 2 hours of the location where you received your treatment for several weeks after getting Amtagvi. Your healthcare provider will check to see if your treatment is working and help you with any side effects that occur.
What are the possible side effects of Amtagvi?
The most common side effects of the Amtagvi treatment include chills, fever, low white blood cell count (may increase risk of infections), fatigue, low red blood cell count (may cause you to feel tired or weak), fast or irregular heartbeat, rash, low blood pressure, and diarrhea.
These are not all the possible side effects of the Amtagvi treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider for more information about Amtagvi. You can ask your healthcare provider for information about Amtagvi that is written for healthcare professionals.
You may report side effects to Iovance at 1-833-400-4682, or to the FDA, at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Please see Full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, including Boxed Warning, for additional Important Safety Information.
About Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. aims to be the global leader in innovating, developing, and delivering tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies for patients with cancer. We are pioneering a transformational approach to cure cancer by harnessing the human immune system’s ability to recognize and destroy diverse cancer cells in each patient. The Iovance TIL platform has demonstrated promising clinical data across multiple solid tumors. Iovance’s Amtagvi® is the first FDA-approved T cell therapy for a solid tumor indication. We are committed to continuous innovation in cell therapy, including gene-edited cell therapy, that may extend and improve life for patients with cancer. For more information, please visit http://www.iovance.com/.
Amtagvi® and its accompanying design marks, Proleukin®, Iovance®, and IovanceCares™ are trademarks and registered trademarks of Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” of Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “PSLRA”). Without limiting the foregoing, we may, in some cases, use terms such as “predicts,” “believes,” “potential,” “continue,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “may,” “can,” “could,” “might,” “will,” “should,” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes and are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and assessments made in light of management’s experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors believed to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and we undertake no duty to update or revise any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, achievements, and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results, developments, and business decisions to differ materially from forward-looking statements are described in the sections titled "Risk Factors" in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and include, but are not limited to, the following substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties inherent in our business: the risks related to our ability to successfully commercialize our products, including Amtagvi, for which we have obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approval, and Proleukin, for which we have obtained FDA and European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) approval; the risk that the EMA or other ex-U.S. regulatory authorities may not approve or may delay approval for our marketing authorization application submission for lifileucel in metastatic melanoma; the acceptance by the market of our products, including Amtagvi and Proleukin, and their potential pricing and/or reimbursement by payors, if approved (in the case of our product candidates), in the U.S. and other international markets and whether such acceptance is sufficient to support continued commercialization or development of our products, including Amtagvi and Proleukin, or product candidates, respectively; future competitive or other market factors may adversely affect the commercial potential for Amtagvi or Proleukin; the risk regarding our ability or inability to manufacture our therapies using third party manufacturers or at our own facility, including our ability to increase manufacturing capacity at such third party manufacturers and our own facility, may adversely affect our commercial launch; the results of clinical trials with collaborators using different manufacturing processes may not be reflected in our sponsored trials; the risk that the successful development or commercialization of our products, including Amtagvi and Proleukin, may not generate sufficient revenue from product sales, and we may not become profitable in the near term, or at all; the risks related to the timing of and our ability to successfully develop, submit, obtain, or maintain FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authority approval of, or other action with respect to, our product candidates; whether clinical trial results from our pivotal studies and cohorts, and meetings with the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities may support registrational studies and subsequent approvals by the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities, including the risk that the planned single arm Phase 2 IOV-LUN-202 trial may not support registration; preliminary and interim clinical results, which may include efficacy and safety results, from ongoing clinical trials or cohorts may not be reflected in the final analyses of our ongoing clinical trials or subgroups within these trials or in other prior trials or cohorts; the risk that enrollment may need to be adjusted for our trials and cohorts within those trials based on FDA and other regulatory agency input; the risk that the changing landscape of care for cervical cancer patients may impact our clinical trials in this indication; the risk that we may be required to conduct additional clinical trials or modify ongoing or future clinical trials based on feedback from the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities; the risk that our interpretation of the results of our clinical trials or communications with the FDA, EMA, or other regulatory authorities may differ from the interpretation of such results or communications by such regulatory authorities (including from our prior meetings with the FDA regarding our non-small cell lung cancer clinical trials); the risk that clinical data from ongoing clinical trials of Amtagvi will not continue or be repeated in ongoing or planned clinical trials or may not support regulatory approval or renewal of authorization; the risk that unanticipated expenses may decrease our estimated cash balances and forecasts and increase our estimated capital requirements; the risk that our restructuring plan and workforce reduction will not result in the intended benefits or savings; the risk that we may not be able to recognize revenue for our products; the risk that Proleukin revenues may not continue to serve as a leading indicator for Amtagvi revenues; the risks regarding our anticipated operating and financial performance, including our financial guidance and projections; the effects of global pandemic; the effects of global and domestic geopolitical factors; and other factors, including general economic conditions and regulatory developments, not within our control. Any financial guidance provided in this press release assumes the following: no material change in our ability to manufacture our products; no material change in payor coverage; no material change in revenue recognition policies; no new business development transactions not completed as of the period covered by this press release; and no material fluctuation in exchange rates.
CONTACTS
Investors
IR@iovance.com
650-260-7120 ext. 150
Media
PR@iovance.com
650-260-7120 ext. 150
FAQ
What real-world response rate did Amtagvi (IOVA) show in the Feb 5, 2026 announcement?
How durable were responses to Amtagvi reported by Iovance (IOVA) through five years?
Does the Feb 5, 2026 Iovance (IOVA) release change Amtagvi regulatory status?
What is the significance of earlier treatment with Amtagvi for advanced melanoma (IOVA)?
How many patients were included in the commercial real-world Amtagvi (IOVA) study presented Feb 5, 2026?
