ImmunityBio Shares Surge on Updated Durable Lymphoma Study Results

Shares of ImmunityBio IBRX surged 39.8% on Friday and added a further 9.4% in after-hours trading after the company reported updated efficacy and safety data from its ongoing QUILT-106 clinical study (NCT06334991).

The study is evaluating an off-the-shelf allogeneic CD19 CAR-NK therapy (CD19 t-haNK) in combination with Roche’s RHHBY anti-CD20 therapy, Rituxan (rituximab), for patients with Waldenström non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), a rare B-cell malignancy. ImmunityBio’s CD19 t-haNK is a targeted, high-affinity natural killer (NK) cell therapy engineered to express a CD19-specific CAR.

Updated Data From IBRX’s Lymphoma Study

Updated follow-up data from ImmunityBio’s ongoing QUILT-106 study continue to show durable complete responses and sustained disease control in patients with Waldenström NHL who had failed standard-of-care therapies. Responses are now extending out to 15 months and remain ongoing, with 100% disease control observed to date. Patients were treated entirely in the outpatient setting and did not require chemotherapy-based lymphodepletion.

The regimen combines off-the-shelf allogeneic CD19 CAR-NK cells with Roche’s Rituxan, targeting tumors through both CD19 and CD20 pathways. Patients received two doses per cycle every 21 days for four cycles, totaling eight doses of CAR-NK therapy and six doses of RHHBY’s Rituxan, with no further treatment thereafter. Responses were assessed after two cycles, with a rapid onset of complete remission observed in evaluable patients.

To date, four patients with Waldenstrom NHL have been enrolled in the study, and all remain in clinical disease control. Two patients are evaluable for long-term follow-up and continue to demonstrate durable complete remission at seven and 15 months, respectively, despite receiving no additional therapy after the initial eight doses. Both patients were presented with extensive disease at baseline, including one with multiple bone lesions and another with approximately 95% bone marrow infiltration, yet achieved complete remission after only four doses of CAR-NK plus Roche’s Rituxan.

In the past six months, ImmunityBio shares have skyrocketed 106% compared with the industry’s 22.1% growth.

The results highlight the potential for long-term immune-mediated disease control without continuous therapy, chemotherapy, or lymphodepletion. The outpatient-based approach eliminates the need for cytotoxic conditioning or inpatient hospitalization, addressing key limitations of conventional CAR-T therapies and positioning CAR-NK as a more scalable and patient-friendly cell therapy platform.

Waldenström NHL remains an area of high unmet medical need, particularly for patients who relapse or become refractory to available therapies. Enrollment and follow-up in QUILT-106 are ongoing, with further clinical updates expected as more patients become evaluable and durability data continue to mature. A follow-up study is also being planned to evaluate the combination of the NK-CAR with ImmunityBio’s IL-15 superagonist, Anktiva (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept), and Roche’s Rituxan to build on the current results in indolent lymphoma.

Anktiva, the sole-marketed drug in ImmunityBio’s portfolio, was approved by the FDA in 2024 in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) to treat adults with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary tumors.

IBRX Advances BCG-Naïve NMIBC Study

In a separate press release, ImmunityBio announced progress in its first-line BCG-naïve NMIBC program with enrollment in the randomized registrational QUILT-2.005 study now exceeding internal expectations. More than 85% of the planned patient population has been enrolled, with full enrollment anticipated by the second quarter of 2026. Based on the current trajectory, IBRX is targeting a biologics license application submission to the FDA by the end of 2026. This also likely contributed to the stock price rally on Friday.

The QUILT-2.005 study is evaluating Anktiva in combination with BCG compared to BCG alone in newly diagnosed NMIBC patients. An FDA-requested interim analysis assessing complete response rate and durability showed that the Anktiva plus BCG regimen delivered a statistically significant improvement in duration of complete response compared with BCG alone. At six months, 85% of patients in the combination arm maintained a complete response compared to 57% with BCG alone. At nine months, the rates were 84% compared to 52%, respectively, reaching statistical significance despite the limited sample size.

Separately, ImmunityBio’s expanded access program for recombinant BCG continues to progress amid ongoing supply shortages of TICE BCG. The company has also requested regulatory consultation to support recombinant BCG as an alternative supply source, positioning the program to address near-term clinical demand, including in BCG-naïve patients.

ImmunityBio, Inc. Price and Consensus

ImmunityBio, Inc. price-consensus-chart | ImmunityBio, Inc. Quote

IBRX’s Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

ImmunityBio currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Alkermes ALKS and Krystal Biotech KRYS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, 2026 EPS estimates for Alkermes have increased from $1.54 to $1.80. Shares of ALKS have gained 18.6% over the past six months.

Alkermes’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, missing on the remaining occasion, with the average surprise being 4.58%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Krystal Biotech’s EPS for 2026 have risen to $8.49 from $8.34. KRYS stock has rallied 92.5% over the past six months.

Krystal Biotech’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining quarter, with the average surprise being 40.43%.

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