ImmunityBio’s Outpatient CAR-NK Therapy Achieves Durable 15-Month Remissions in Rare Lymphoma

CULVER CITY, CA — January 6, 2026 —ImmunityBio has reported a significant breakthrough in its cell therapy program, announcing that its “off-the-shelf” CD19 CAR-NK (Chimeric Antigen Receptor Natural Killer) therapy has induced complete remissions lasting over a year in patients with Waldenström non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The updated data from the QUILT-106 study highlights a paradigm shift in cellular medicine: the ability to deliver potent, long-term cancer control without the need for hospital stays or toxic chemotherapy.

Dual-Targeting Without Chemotherapy

The therapy, known as CD19 t-haNK, is an allogeneic (donor-derived) cell line engineered to target CD19-expressing cancer cells. In the trial, it was paired with Rituxan (rituximab), which targets the CD20 protein. This dual-targeting approach—delivered entirely in an outpatient setting—represents the first chemotherapy-free and lymphodepletion-free CAR-based regimen to show 100% clinical disease control in this patient population. Unlike traditional CAR-T therapies, which require “clearing” the patient’s immune system with harsh chemotherapy (lymphodepletion) to prevent rejection, ImmunityBio’s NK cells were administered safely without such conditioning.

Deep Responses in Advanced Disease

The study’s results are particularly notable for their depth and durability. Of the four patients enrolled, two have reached long-term follow-up milestones:

• Patient 1: Achieved a complete response (CR) that has been maintained for 15 months after receiving only eight doses. This patient entered the trial with approximately 95% of their bone marrow replaced by tumor cells.

• Patient 2: Continues to demonstrate a complete response at the 7-month mark. Both patients remain in remission without any additional treatment. ImmunityBio’s founder, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, noted that seeing these responses persist beyond a year after treatment has stopped validates CAR-NK as a potential “next-generation immunotherapy platform” for rare B-cell malignancies.

Broadening the “BioShield” Strategy

The success in lymphoma comes as ImmunityBio scales its commercial operations for Anktiva, its IL-15 agonist recently approved for bladder cancer. The company plans to submit a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) later this year to expand Anktiva’s use into BCG-naïve bladder cancer patients, where interim data already shows a statistically significant improvement in the duration of response compared to standard care. This expansion could move Anktiva into the first-line treatment setting, dramatically increasing its market reach.