ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a leading immunotherapy company, today announced the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Houston recently became the first VA hospital in the Houston region and one of the first in the U.S. to provide treatment with ANKTIVA® (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln) to a veteran with bladder cancer.
ANKTIVA, the first of its kind immune-boosting, lymphocyte stimulating agent, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). A 2024 study found military exposure to carcinogenic agents was associated with a higher risk for bladder cancer among veterans, making this treatment especially vital for those at the VA.
Nationally recognized urologic oncologists at the Houston VA, Dr. Jeffrey Jones and Dr. Jennifer Taylor, were instrumental in bringing this novel treatment to veterans. They are strong advocates for advancing care for those battling bladder cancer. In addition, Dr. Jones, who is also affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, led efforts to enroll the facility in ImmunityBio’s Expanded Access Program (EAP) for rBCG.
“We are honored to see ANKTIVA reaching our nation’s veterans,” said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ImmunityBio. “Drs. Jones’ and Taylor’s leadership and commitment to innovation are exactly what’s needed to expand access to transformative treatments like ANKTIVA across the VA system. This milestone at DeBakey underscores the real-world impact of our mission.”
