ImmunityBio Receives Authorization from the European Commission for ANKTIVA® with BCG for Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Carcinoma in Situ, Expanding Global Access to 33 Countries
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ANKTIVA plus BCG, with a 71% complete response rate, is the first immunotherapy to receive marketing authorization in
Europe for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS), with or without papillary tumors, where no treatment was previously authorized for BCG-unresponsive disease -
European Commission conditional marketing authorization enables commercial availability across all 27European Union (EU) member states plusIceland ,Norway , andLiechtenstein , bringing the total number of countries where ANKTIVA is authorized to 33 -
ANKTIVA is now authorized across four regulatory jurisdictions:
the United States (FDA,April 2024 ),United Kingdom (MHRA,July 2025 ),Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (SFDA,January 2026 ), and theEuropean Union (EC,February 2026 ) -
More than 150,000 patients are diagnosed annually with NMIBC across
Europe ; the European Commission’s decision addresses an unmet medical need where the primary alternative for BCG-unresponsive patients has been radical cystectomy - Global regulatory footprint of 33 countries built in under two years from initial FDA approval
ANKTIVA in combination with BCG is the first authorized treatment in
The conditional marketing authorization follows the positive opinion adopted by the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on
As part of the conditional authorization,
“The European Commission’s authorization of ANKTIVA in combination with BCG marks a defining moment for patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC CIS across
Global Regulatory Footprint
ANKTIVA in combination with BCG for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC CIS is now authorized across four regulatory jurisdictions encompassing 33 countries:
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United States : FDA approval,April 2024 (NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors) -
United Kingdom : MHRA approval,July 2025 (NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors) -
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia : SFDA accelerated approval,January 2026 (NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors; metastatic non-small cell lung cancer) -
European Union (30 countries):European Commission conditional marketing authorization,February 2026 (NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors). Covers all 27 EU member states plusIceland ,Liechtenstein , andNorway .
The
Unmet Medical Need in
Bladder cancer represents a significant public health burden in the
Notably, unlike
“Reaching 33 countries in under two years from our first regulatory approval is a testament to the strength of the clinical evidence and the urgency of the unmet need in BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer,” said
Clinical Evidence Supporting Authorization
The conditional marketing authorization was based on results from the QUILT-3.032 study (NCT03022825), a single-arm, open-label, multicenter phase 2/3 clinical trial in 100 adults with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC CIS with or without papillary tumors who received ANKTIVA in combination with BCG administered intravesically.5, 6
Key Efficacy Findings:
- Complete response (CR) rate: 71% (95% CI: 61%, 80%), with responses ranging up to 54+ months and ongoing
- Median duration of complete response: 26.6 months (95% CI: 13.0, 49.9 months)
- Complete response rate among responders at 12 months: 66%; at 24 months: 42%
- Cystectomy-free survival among responders: 96% at 12 months, 90% at 24 months, and 84% at 36 months
- Disease-specific survival for all patients: 99% at 24 months and 99% at 36 months
Key Safety Findings (Cohorts A and B combined, n=180):
- Most treatment-related adverse events were grade 1 to 2
- Grade 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 3% of patients; no grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events were reported
- Most common adverse reactions:dysuria, hematuria, pollakiuria, urinary tract infection, micturition urgency, fatigue, chills, musculoskeletal pain, and pyrexia
About ANKTIVA® (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept)
ANKTIVA is a first-in-class interleukin-15 (IL-15) receptor agonist (ATC code: L03AC03) consisting of an IL-15 mutant (IL-15N72D) bound to an IL-15 receptor alpha Fc fusion protein. In the
About Conditional Marketing Authorization
A conditional marketing authorization is an EU regulatory mechanism designed to facilitate early access to medicines that address an unmet medical need. This pathway allows the
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
INDICATION AND USAGE: ANKTIVA in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumours.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS: The possibility of severe systemic BCG-infections with the necessity of anti-tuberculosis therapy should be considered before initiating the BCG-therapy.
Delaying cystectomy in patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with CIS, with or without papillary tumours, treated with ANKTIVA therapy in combination with BCG could lead to development of muscle invasive or metastatic bladder cancer.
If patients with CIS that are medically eligible for cystectomy have not achieved a CR (absence of disease or low-grade Ta) to treatment after an induction course of ANKTIVA in combination with BCG at the 12-weeks assessment, cystectomy should be reconsidered as an alternative to re-induction. The risk of developing muscle-invasive or metastatic bladder cancer increases the longer cystectomy is delayed in the presence of persisting CIS.
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION: For intravesical use only. ANKTIVA should NOT be administered by subcutaneous or intravenous or intramuscular use.
From a microbiological point of view, unless the method of opening/reconstitution/dilution precludes the risk of microbial contamination, the product should be used immediately. If not used immediately, in-use storage times and conditions are the responsibility of the user.
ANKTIVA is administered intravesically as a mixture with BCG.
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS: Pregnancy: Treatment is not recommended during pregnancy and in women of childbearing potential not using effective contraception.
Please see the Summary of Product Characteristics for ANKTIVA® available on the
About
References
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2.
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4. Guallar-Garrido S. and Julián E. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Therapy for Bladder Cancer: An Update. Immunotargets Ther. 2020;9:1–11.
5. Chang SS, Chamie K, Kramolowsky E, et al. An update on QUILT-3.032: Complete responses to N-803 plus BCG therapy in BCG-unresponsive bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without Ta/T1 papillary disease. J Urol. 2025;213(5S): e392.
6. Summary of Product Characteristics for ANKTIVA® available on the
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements regarding clinical trial data and potential results and implications to be drawn therefrom, statements regarding the benefits and availability of ANKTIVA following the European Commission’s grant of conditional marketing authorization, the Company’s ability to distribute treatment to patients across 33 countries, ongoing and planned clinical development activities, the submission of long-term safety and efficacy data to the EMA as required under the conditional marketing authorization, the development of therapeutics for cancer and infectious diseases, potential benefits to patients, potential treatment outcomes, the described mechanism of action and results therefrom, the application of the Company’s platforms to treating cancers or developing cancer vaccines, immunotherapies, and cell therapies, the Company’s development of a recombinant BCG candidate, and ImmunityBio’s approved product and investigational agents as compared to existing treatment options, among others.
Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact are considered forward-looking statements, which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues,” “goal,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company’s current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions regarding the future of its business, future plans and strategies, clinical results, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict, and many of which are outside of the Company’s control.
The Company’s actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include, among others: the Company’s ability to successfully commercialize ANKTIVA in the
More information regarding these and other risks that may impact the Company’s business is described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on
Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this press release is based only on information currently available to the Company and speaks only as of the date on which it is made.
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