- Founder Patrick Soon-Shiong said Abraxane from Bristol Myers Squibb could help boost immune responses when combined with the company’s cancer immunotherapy Anktiva.
- Founder Patrick Soon-Shiong said Abraxane may help “expose” tumors through immune-activating signals and support macrophage activity.
- Anktiva was recently added to Macau’s approved drug list and included by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for certain bladder cancer patients.
Shares of ImmunityBio, Inc. (IBRX) rose over 1% in premarket trading on Tuesday after a newly posted Phase 1 study showed its cancer therapy Anktiva is being tested alongside Bristol Myers Squibb’s Abraxane and other drugs in patients with pancreatic cancer ahead of surgery.
IBRX stock jumped nearly 11% on Monday, marking its best session in a month.
Phase 1 Trial Tests Anktiva In Pancreatic Cancer
According to a new regulatory update on Monday, the open-label Phase 1 study is evaluating Anktiva in combination with the investigational agents Sotevtamab and Zabadinostat, plus the chemotherapy drugs Gemcitabine and Abraxane, in participants with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
The treatment is being given before surgery, followed by tumor removal and additional immunotherapy afterward, as researchers evaluate the safety and early signals of effectiveness of the combination approach.
Participants enrolled in the study will undergo endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies of the primary tumor within seven days before treatment begins. Samples will be used for diagnostic evaluation and stored in an approved tissue bank.
Bristol Myers’ Abraxane May Support Anktiva
Soon-Shiong said on X that Abraxane differs from older chemotherapy agents such as Taxol because it is delivered using albumin, a naturally occurring protein that helps transport the drug across blood vessel walls into the tumor microenvironment.
He said the drug enters tumors through a natural transport pathway called GP60 and helps activate macrophages to attack cancer cells while also “exposing” tumors through DAMP signaling, making them easier for natural killer (NK) cells and T cells to recognize and destroy.
“So it’s not that we ignore the use of chemo, it’s how we use it to activate the immune system while protecting and activating the lymphocytes with Anktiva,” Soon-Shiong said. Abraxane was originally developed by Abraxis BioScience, which Soon-Shiong founded, and is now marketed by Bristol Myers Squibb for breast, lung and pancreatic cancers.
Anktiva Platform Therapy Strategy Gains Support
The development adds to ImmunityBio’s broader effort to position Anktiva as a platform immunotherapy that works alongside vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy backbones across multiple cancer types rather than as a standalone treatment.
Last week, Soon-Shiong pointed to early immune data from the first 20 participants in an Anktiva study showing increases in absolute lymphocyte counts when the therapy was used with the company’s adenovirus-based cancer vaccine. The trial has enrolled 138 patients randomized to the combination or placebo.
He said baseline lymphocyte levels typically decline with age but appeared to increase with Anktiva in the early analysis, supporting the therapy’s immune-stimulating role.
Anktiva Gains Macau Listing, NCCN Backing
Momentum around Anktiva has also been driven by recent regulatory developments, including its addition to Macau’s approved drug list for bladder cancer. Anktiva now stands alongside therapies from Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences and Moderna in Macau.
In the U.S., the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) added Anktiva with BCG as an “other recommended” option for papillary bladder cancer that no longer responds to standard BCG treatment, expanding its positioning beyond carcinoma in situ under treatment guidelines.
ImmunityBio has also resubmitted its application seeking to expand Anktiva’s label to papillary bladder cancer after previously receiving a refusal-to-file letter from regulators.
How Did Stocktwits Users React?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for IBRX has slipped to ‘bearish’ levels over the past week from the ‘extremely bullish’ zone amid ‘low’ message volumes over the last 24-hours.
One user said IBRX shares showed signs of steady accumulation after closing near session highs and, citing recent regulatory and guideline momentum. They expect the stock to climb toward $20 by Friday.
Another user said IBRX is “currently the best stock with the most potential.”
IBRX stock has surged nearly 250% over the past year.
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