On June 1, 2026 ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a commercial-stage immunotherapy company, reported two poster presentations and one online publication at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place May 29-June 2, 2026, in Chicago.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
The presentations span two randomized Phase 3 trials in advanced NSCLC and a matched adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) in BCG unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and collectively evaluate ANKTIVA (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln), the company’s IL-15 receptor agonist immunotherapy designed to activate natural killer (NK) cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and memory T cells, across multiple solid tumor indications.
"ASCO provides an important opportunity to share emerging clinical and translational data that continue to deepen our understanding of how ANKTIVA-based immunotherapy may restore immune function and rescue or reinvigorate the response to checkpoint inhibitors," said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman, and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ImmunityBio. "ANKTIVA is the first FDA-approved immunotherapy designed to stimulate NK cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and memory T cells, which are the very immune cells that are depleted in patients with lymphopenia and that are critical to mounting an effective anti-tumor response. Growing long-term survival data across bladder, lung and other solid tumors are beginning to put in focus a compelling hypothesis: that restoring immune competence and addressing lymphopenia may be as a fundamental to cancer care as targeting the tumor itself. These findings reinforce our conviction that the future of immunotherapy lies in activating and amplifying the immune system, not suppressing it."
Presentation highlights include:
ASCO 2026 Annual Meeting Poster Presentations – Sunday, May 31st (9am-12pm)
Poster Title: Phase 3 trial ResQ201A of nogapendekin alfa inbakicept (NAI) plus tislelizumab and docetaxel vs. docetaxel monotherapy for advanced or metastatic NSCLC resistant to ICI therapy Poster Board: 455am Abstract: #TPS8671 Presenter: Andreas Saltos (Affiliation: Moffitt)
Poster Title: Efficacy outcomes in first line (1L) non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with maintenance of immune competence: QUILT‑2.023 randomized phase 3 study of IL‑15R agonist nogapendekin alfa inbakicept (NAI) with checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) ± chemotherapy Poster Board: 378 Abstract: #8588 Presenter: John Wrangle (Affiliation: MUSC)
Online Publication Only
Abstract Title: A matched adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) of NAI+BCG & pembrolizumab in patients with BCG unresponsive NMIBC with CIS ± papillary disease – Will be published on View Source at 5:00 PM EDT on May 21, 2026
About ANKTIVA (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln)
The interleukin-15 (IL-15) cytokine plays a crucial role in the immune system by affecting the development, maintenance, and function of key immune cells—NK and CD8+ killer T cells—that are involved in killing cancer cells. By activating NK cells, ANKTIVA overcomes the tumor escape phase of clones resistant to T cells and restores memory T cell activity with resultant prolonged duration of complete response. ANKTIVA is a first-in-class IL-15 receptor agonist IgG1 fusion complex, consisting of an IL-15 mutant (IL-15N72D) fused with an IL-15 receptor alpha, which binds with high affinity to IL-15 receptors on NK, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells. This fusion complex of ANKTIVA mimics the natural biological properties of the membrane-bound IL-15 receptor alpha, delivering IL-15 by dendritic cells and driving the activation and proliferation of NK cells with the generation of memory killer T cells that have retained immune memory against these tumor clones.
(Press release, ImmunityBio, JUN 1, 2026, View Source [SID1234666307])