ImmunityBio (NASDAQ:IBRX) reported updated Phase 2 clinical results for its novel immunotherapy combination in patients with recurrent glioblastoma, suggesting the treatment may overcome the "immune collapse" that typically follows standard cancer therapies.
The Culver City-based company announced on Friday that in its QUILT-3.078 study, 19 out of 23 enrolled patients with recurrent or progressive glioblastoma (GBM) remain alive as of January 22, 2026.
Crucially, the median overall survival (mOS) has not yet been reached—a significant early indicator in a disease where the historical benchmark for recurrence is just six to nine months.
The study evaluates a chemotherapy-free "backbone" consisting of ANKTIVA (an IL-15 agonist), PD-L1-targeted CAR-NK cells, and bevacizumab.
The data highlights a potential "paradigm change" in treating GBM by addressing lymphopenia, a condition where standard radiation and chemotherapy deplete a patient's white blood cells, effectively crippling their immune system.
Patients entering the study had a mean absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) of approximately 900 cells per µL, signaling severe immune compromise.
However, after starting the ImmunityBio regimen, researchers observed a statistically significant recovery of these vital immune cells without the use of further chemotherapy.