ImmunityBio Stock Climbs Thursday: What's Going On?

ImmunityBio Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) shares are trading higher Thursday after the FDA expanded the approved indication for its bladder cancer immunotherapy ANKTIVA to include BCG-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer with papillary-only tumors. ImmunityBio stock is moving in positive territory. What’s pushing IBRX stock higher? FDA Expands ANKTIVA to Papillary-Only Disease, Which Is the Majority of Patients The updated label covers ANKTIVA in combination with BCG for adults with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, or NMIBC. It is the first FDA approval to include patients with papillary-only tumors. It builds on the April 2024 approval for patients with carcinoma in situ, or CIS, with or without papillary tumors. Papillary disease accounts for about 85% of NMIBC patients, and NMIBC makes up about 80% of U.S. bladder cancer diagnoses. ImmunityBio said the expansion significantly increases ANKTIVA’s U.S. addressable patient population and makes it the first FDA-approved therapy for both CIS and papillary-only disease in this setting. "The expansion of ANKTIVA plus BCG into papillary-only disease broadens the eligible patient population," said Richard Adcock, President and CEO of ImmunityBio. The Approval Extrapolates From CIS Data and Not a New Papillary Trial The approval rests on the FDA’s review of available scientific information, including efficacy ANKTIVA plus BCG previously showed in patients with CIS. In Cohort A of the QUILT-3.032 trial, 62% of 77 patients achieved a complete response. Among those who responded, 58% maintained the response for at least 12 months and 40% for at least 24 months. The FDA said, according to Fierce Pharma, that because CIS and high-grade papillary disease share clinical and non-clinical features, efficacy in CIS could be extrapolated to patients with high-grade papillary disease. It also said it is finalizing draft guidance on developing drugs for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC. Fierce described the road to this approval as bumpy, noting an earlier refusal-to-file. Read Also: Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Nasdaq 100 Futures Fall As Chip Stock Sell-Off Intensifies — SKHY, TSM, RKLB in Focus ImmunityBio Shares Edge Higher IBRX Price Action: At the time of publication, ImmunityBio shares are trading 3.23% higher at $10.23, according to data from Benzinga Pro. Image via Shutterstock