November 23, 2020 -- ImmunityBio has released preclinical data demonstrating that its lead cytokine infusion protein, Anktiva, an interleukin (IL)-15 "superagonist," improves interferon-gamma production and killing of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo by CD34+ progenitor-derived natural killer (HPC-NK) cells.
Anktiva is currently being evaluated in late-stage clinical trials in combination with NantKWest's NK cell therapies for multiple indications including metastatic pancreatic cancer, triple negative breast cancer, bladder cancer, and lung cancer.
The preclinical studies were conducted at the Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences in the Netherlands. The studies found that Anktiva induces NK cell proliferation and production, improves serial killing properties of NK cells against leukemia, and increases C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) production and killing of ovarian cancer spheroids (in vivo model). In human ovarian cancer mouse models, Anktiva in combination with human immunoglobulins shows anti-tumor effects.
Anktiva has previously received breakthrough therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)-unresponsive carcinoma in situ non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.