Rapid Innovation is Reshaping Oncology: Stocks in Focus

An updated edition of the December 17, 2025, article.

The global oncology market is entering a phase of accelerated transformation, driven by rising cancer incidence, demographic shifts and rapid scientific progress. The American Cancer Society estimates that the United States will see about 2.1 million new cancer diagnoses and more than 626,000 cancer-related deaths in 2026. Globally, lifestyle-related risk factors and demographic shifts continue to increase cancer prevalence, supporting sustained growth in oncology healthcare spending.

Innovation is fundamentally reshaping cancer treatment paradigms. Advances in immunotherapies, targeted medicines and personalized vaccines have significantly expanded options beyond traditional chemotherapy and radiation. Immune-based approaches — including checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T therapies, therapeutic cancer vaccines and oncolytic viruses — leverage the body’s immune system to identify and destroy tumors. Meanwhile, targeted therapies enhance precision by addressing specific molecular and genetic drivers of disease, and personalized cancer vaccines represent a major step forward in individualized oncology care.

Technologies such as genomic sequencing, artificial intelligence and machine learning are accelerating biomarker discovery, improving patient stratification and enabling earlier diagnosis. Although a universal cure remains elusive, steady gains in survival rates and quality of life across multiple cancer types underscore the impact of innovation and earlier intervention.

Pharmaceutical companies are responding with sustained investment. Major players — including Novartis, AstraZeneca, J&J, Pfizer PFE, AbbVie ABBV, Merck MRK, Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly LLY — are strengthening oncology pipelines with antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies and next-generation immuno-oncology therapies. Smaller biotech firms remain critical innovation drivers, fueling partnerships, licensing deals and acquisitions.

Supported by ongoing innovation, favorable reimbursement trends and a growing range of treatment options, oncology remains one of the most resilient and attractive segments of the global healthcare sector for long-term investors.

With our thematic screens, you can easily spot stocks tied to trends shaping the future of investing. If the cancerspace appeals to you and you’re looking to align your portfolio with this rising trend, now might be the time to consider stocks like ImmunityBio IBRX, Arcus Biosciences RCUS and Allogene Therapeutics ALLO.

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3 Cancer Stocks in Focus

ImmunityBio’s lead drug, Anktiva, was approved in April 2024 in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) to treat BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in the United States. Anktiva, a first-in-class IL-15 agonist IgG1 fusion complex, is witnessing strong demand trends and generated $113.0 million in sales (preliminary) in 2025, with volumes rising 750%. The drug is under review in the EU.

ImmunityBio is simultaneously evaluating Anktiva, as a monotherapy or in combination with other agents, for expanded use in bladder cancer as well as for other cancer indications like non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), glioblastoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In NSCLC studies, it has shown potential to reverse lymphopenia and extend overall survival, while in glioblastoma studies, it showed strong data in achieving disease control. ImmunityBio has a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy)  stocks here.

Arcus Biosciences’ lead pipeline candidate is casdatifan, a potential best-in-class HIF-2a inhibitor, which is being developed in combination with cabozantinib, the most widely used TKI, to treat immunotherapy-experienced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) in the PEAK-1 phase III study. Arcus aims to establish casdatifan as the standard-of-care and backbone therapy for ccRCC, which represents a potential global market opportunity of $5 billion or more. Multiple data readouts are planned for casdatifan in 2026. Arcus plans to initiate another phase III study for a casdatifan-containing, TKI-free regimen in the first-line setting by the end of 2026.

The company’s oncology portfolio also includes quemliclustat, a small-molecule CD73 inhibitor that completed enrollment in the late-stage PRISM-1 study in pancreatic cancer. Results are expected in 2027 for the registrational study, which is evaluating quemliclustat plus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. RCUS is a #2 Ranked stock.

Allogene Therapeutics develops genetically engineered allogeneic T-cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Allogene’s lead pipeline candidate is cema-cel, which it is developing as a frontline treatment for patients with large B-cell lymphoma  in the pivotal phase II ALPHA3 study.

Another key candidate in Allogene’s oncology pipeline is ALLO-316, being developed in the phase I TRAVERSE study for advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Data from the study showed that the therapy induced early anti-tumor activity with deepening responses over time, especially in heavily pre-treated patients with high CD70 expression. While the company has already aligned with the FDA on the design for a pivotal study, it is currently exploring partnership opportunities to advance the development of this drug.

Allogene Therapeutics has a Zacks Rank of 2.

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