On May 22, 2026 ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a commercial-stage immunotherapy company, reported preliminary results from a new health economic analysis demonstrating that ANKTIVA (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln; NAI) plus Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) achieved a lower cost per sustained complete responder compared to TAR-200 in patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer carcinoma in situ ± papillary disease (NMIBC CIS). The findings were presented at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) 2026, May 17–20, 2026, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, by Ruchika Talwar, M.D., Medical Director and Assistant Professor Urologic Oncology at Vanderbilt Health.
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The authors developed a cost-consequence model comparing ANKTIVA plus BCG, using data from the QUILT-3.032 study, with TAR-200, using data from the SunRISe-1 trial, and evaluated both clinical and economic outcomes in a U.S. Medicare population. A multi-state Markov model incorporating key NMIBC health states and clinical outcomes derived from a matched-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) of the two trials was used to assess costs associated with treatment acquisition, administration, healthcare resource utilization, radical cystectomy, and mortality.
Key findings include:
Cost per cystectomy avoided: ANKTIVA plus BCG demonstrated savings of $109,622 at Year 1, $151,438 at Year 2, and $60,393 at Year 3 compared to TAR-200
Cost per cystectomy-free month: Savings of $9,370 at Year 1, $6,144 at Year 2, and $1,520 at Year 3
Cost per complete responder: Savings of $313,775 at Year 1 and $282,013 at Year 2
Cost reductions were primarily driven by lower drug acquisition and administration costs, based on complete response rates derived from an indirect treatment comparison—49.6% for ANKTIVA plus BCG versus 45.9% for TAR-200.
The authors concluded that ANKTIVA plus BCG offers direct cost savings across measurable clinical outcomes for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC CIS compared to TAR-200 in a U.S. Medicare population, with savings persisting across all three years of the analysis.
"This health economic analysis reflects our dual mission of developing breakthrough immunotherapies that meaningfully extend lives, while ensuring these innovations are accessible within the broader healthcare landscape. By analyzing the rigorous economic efficiencies of our treatments, we are better positioned to ensure more patients can receive the most innovative and accessible cancer treatments available today," said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ImmunityBio. "These results solidify the potential value of ANKTIVA plus BCG in delivering durable responses while reducing costs to the Medicare healthcare system."
"These findings reinforce the importance of aligning clinical innovation with both economic value and patient preferences," said Ruchika Talwar, M.D., Medical Director and Assistant Professor Urologic Oncology at Vanderbilt Health. "In BCG-unresponsive NMIBC, treatment decisions are not solely about response rates; they are about durability, quality of life, and ensuring patients have access to therapies that are both effective and sustainable within the healthcare system."
About BCG-Unresponsive NMIBC CIS
Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents approximately 75% of all bladder cancer diagnoses in the United States. Patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) who become unresponsive to BCG therapy face a high risk of recurrence and progression and often have limited bladder-sparing treatment options available.
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.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
INDICATION AND USAGE: ANKTIVA is an interleukin-15 (IL-15) receptor agonist indicated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for the treatment of adult patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS: Risk of Metastatic Bladder Cancer with Delayed Cystectomy. Delaying cystectomy can lead to the development of muscle-invasive or metastatic bladder cancer, which can be lethal. If patients with CIS do not have a complete response to treatment after a second induction course of ANKTIVA with BCG, reconsider cystectomy.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: For Intravesical Use Only. Do not administer by subcutaneous or intravenous routes.
Please see the complete Indication and Important Safety Information and Prescribing Information for ANKTIVA at Anktiva.com.
(Press release, ImmunityBio, MAY 22, 2026, View Source [SID1234666013])