Combining engineered NK-92 cells with current monoclonal antibody therapies may augment the overall cytotoxic effects of monoclonal antibody treatment alone and help address relapse by bolstering a patient's natural immune system response, the company said. ImmunityBio's NK-92 cells are specifically modified versions of NK cells that are a core element of the human immune system.

The NK cell platform can be easily expanded, genetically modified, and cryopreserved, noted ImmunityBio. By inserting CARs into NK-92 cells, the cells have the potential for multispecific killing, including direct NK cell killing via stress ligands, CD16-mediated killing via tumor-targeted antibodies, and CAR-mediated killing, said ImmunityBio. The filed patent is valid for 20 years.

ImmunityBio is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company that develops next-generation therapies that are focused on driving immunogenic mechanisms to treat cancers and infectious diseases. ImmunityBio has more than 1,100 issued and pending patents worldwide.

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