Company Description
ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) is a vertically integrated, commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation immunotherapies and cell therapies that bolster the natural immune system to defeat cancers and infectious diseases. Classified under biological product manufacturing within the broader manufacturing sector, the company concentrates on biologic product candidates designed to drive and sustain immune responses with the goal of providing durable and safe protection against disease.
According to company disclosures, ImmunityBio’s platforms span immunotherapy and cell therapy, which can be used alone or in combination to activate and maintain immune activity. These platforms include antibody–cytokine fusion proteins, DNA, RNA and recombinant protein vaccine approaches, and cell therapies. The company describes its work as aiming to make therapies more effective, accessible, and easily administered than existing standards of care in oncology and infectious diseases.
Core focus on ANKTIVA and IL‑15 biology
A central element of ImmunityBio’s strategy is ANKTIVA (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept), an interleukin‑15 (IL‑15) receptor agonist and first-in-class IL‑15 agonist IgG1 fusion complex. ANKTIVA is designated an FDA Breakthrough Therapy and is described by the company as the first FDA‑approved immunotherapy for non‑muscle invasive bladder cancer carcinoma in situ (NMIBC CIS) that activates natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, and memory T cells for a long-duration response. ANKTIVA is approved with Bacillus Calmette‑Guérin (BCG) in the United States and United Kingdom, and has received a conditional marketing authorization recommendation in the European Union for BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC CIS, with or without papillary tumors.
ImmunityBio reports that ANKTIVA is a key component of its BioShield platform. The fusion complex consists of an IL‑15 mutant fused with an IL‑15 receptor alpha component, designed to bind with high affinity to IL‑15 receptors on NK, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells. Company materials state that this structure mimics the natural biology of membrane‑bound IL‑15 receptor alpha, delivering IL‑15 via dendritic cells and driving activation and proliferation of NK cells and memory killer T cells.
Commercial stage and revenue generation
ImmunityBio describes itself as a commercial-stage immunotherapy company. Recent company news highlights net product revenue derived from ANKTIVA, with reported growth in unit sales and revenue over multiple quarters. The company attributes this revenue to sales of ANKTIVA in approved indications, particularly BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC with CIS, with or without papillary tumors. While specific revenue figures are reported in periodic updates, the structural point for investors is that ImmunityBio generates product revenue from an FDA‑approved biologic therapy and is expanding its commercial footprint.
The company has also disclosed that it operates across at least two geographical segments, the United States and Europe, with key revenue generated from the United States. Regulatory milestones in Europe and the Middle East, including conditional marketing authorization in the EU and approvals by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), reflect an effort to broaden the geographic base for ANKTIVA.
Oncology indications and clinical programs
ImmunityBio’s development programs focus on multiple cancers. Company information and press releases highlight work in:
- Non‑muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) – ANKTIVA plus BCG for BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC CIS, with or without papillary tumors, supported by data from the QUILT‑3.032 trial, including outcomes such as disease‑specific survival, progression‑free survival, and cystectomy avoidance in high‑grade papillary-only NMIBC.
- Non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – ANKTIVA in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors in first‑line and later‑line NSCLC, with clinical studies such as QUILT‑2.023 and QUILT‑3.055 designed to evaluate immune restoration (e.g., absolute lymphocyte count) and associations with overall survival.
- Glioblastoma (GBM) – an investigational regimen combining ANKTIVA, NK cell therapy and the Optune Gio device in recurrent GBM, where early pilot data in a small cohort have shown disease control and responses, leading the company to plan a randomized trial.
- Other cancers and conditions – Company communications reference development efforts in non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, Lynch syndrome (hereditary colon cancer), ovarian cancer, HPV‑associated tumors, HIV, and lymphopenia, often in the context of ANKTIVA‑based regimens and broader BioShield platform concepts.
Across these programs, ImmunityBio emphasizes the concept of “immune restoration,” particularly in patients whose lymphocyte counts have been reduced by prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy. In NSCLC, for example, the company has reported that ANKTIVA plus checkpoint inhibitor therapy was associated with restoration or maintenance of absolute lymphocyte count above defined thresholds, and that these immune changes correlated with survival outcomes in clinical studies.
Regulatory and geographic expansion
ImmunityBio’s disclosures describe a growing regulatory footprint for ANKTIVA. In addition to approvals in the U.S. and U.K. for BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors, the company has announced:
- A conditional marketing authorization recommendation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for ANKTIVA plus BCG in BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC CIS.
- Accelerated approval from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority for ANKTIVA plus BCG in BCG‑unresponsive NMIBC CIS, with or without papillary disease.
- Accelerated approval from the SFDA for ANKTIVA in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic NSCLC in adults whose disease has progressed following standard therapies, including the first approval for subcutaneous administration of ANKTIVA.
The company has indicated plans to open a regional office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to collaborate with a regional commercial and distribution partner to support physicians and health systems across the Middle East and North Africa. These steps are presented as part of a strategy to extend access to ANKTIVA‑based regimens in regions with significant cancer burden.
Corporate and capital markets profile
ImmunityBio’s common stock trades on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol IBRX. The company has filed shelf registration statements and entered into capital‑raising arrangements, including an at‑the‑market offering program and a registered direct offering of common stock and warrants, as disclosed in Form 8‑K filings. It has also amended its certificate of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock, reflecting an ability to issue additional equity.
The company’s governance and compensation structures are documented in SEC filings, including the adoption of a 2025 Equity Incentive Plan to replace a prior equity plan, and the appointment of independent directors. ImmunityBio has also reported the preliminary approval of a proposed settlement of certain stockholder derivative actions, which includes corporate governance reforms funded through insurance.
Research, development, and platform strategy
ImmunityBio positions its R&D strategy around coordinated activation of both innate and adaptive immunity. Company communications describe the concept of “Immunotherapy 2.0,” in which ANKTIVA serves as a backbone in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and, in some settings, CAR‑NK cell therapies or other modalities. Clinical programs such as ResQ201A, a randomized Phase 3 NSCLC trial comparing ANKTIVA plus checkpoint inhibitor and docetaxel to docetaxel alone, are designed to test these combinations in patients who have progressed after standard therapies.
Beyond oncology, ImmunityBio states that it is applying its platforms to potential cancer vaccines and to immunotherapies and cell therapies that it believes may reduce or eliminate the need for standard high‑dose chemotherapy. The company also references broader initiatives in global health security and AI‑enabled biomanufacturing through participation in forums such as the U.S.–Saudi Biotech Alliance Summit, which focuses on immunotherapy, biomanufacturing, artificial intelligence, and preparedness for cancer and life‑threatening infections.
Regulatory filings and investor information
As a U.S. public company, ImmunityBio files periodic and current reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Forms 10‑K, 10‑Q, and 8‑K. These filings provide details on financial performance, risk factors, capital structure, governance, and material agreements. Investors researching IBRX can review these documents to understand the company’s revenue from ANKTIVA, research and development spending, equity incentive plans, and financing transactions.
Overall, ImmunityBio represents a commercial‑stage biotechnology issuer centered on IL‑15–based immunotherapies and cell therapy platforms, with an approved product in bladder cancer, expanding indications in lung cancer and other malignancies, and an active clinical and regulatory agenda across multiple regions.