New York, Jan 17, 2026, 06:10 EST — Markets have closed for the day.
Shares of ImmunityBio Inc (IBRX.O) surged almost 40% on Friday following a strong boost in preliminary sales for its bladder cancer treatment ANKTIVA, alongside fresh trial updates. The stock finished at $5.52, marking a 39.9% gain, after swinging between $4.09 and $6.44 on heavy volume of roughly 182 million shares.
The rally is significant as ImmunityBio works to show ANKTIVA can shift from a niche debut to consistent commercial success. Investors are also focused on whether the drug can tap into a broader first-line bladder cancer market—something that would reshape the revenue trajectory.
U.S. stock markets were closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, pushing the next test of Friday’s move to Tuesday when trading picks up again. That break can swing either way for small-cap biotech stocks: buyers get a chance to digest news, while sellers have time to organize.
ImmunityBio flagged in a Thursday 8-K filing that its preliminary and unaudited results for the quarter and full year ended Dec. 31, 2025, might shift significantly when the final annual numbers come out.
ImmunityBio projected preliminary 2025 net product revenue for ANKTIVA at about $113 million—a near 700% increase from 2024—in a recent press release tied to its filing. It also forecast fourth-quarter net product revenue around $38.3 million. The company expects to end 2025 with roughly $242.8 million in cash and marketable securities. CEO Richard Adcock highlighted what he called “accelerating adoption” of ANKTIVA. archive.fast-edgar.com
ImmunityBio announced Friday that its QUILT-2.005 trial in BCG-naïve non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is over 85% enrolled, with full enrollment slated for Q2 2026. The company aims to file a biologics license application (BLA) with the FDA by the end of that year. An FDA-requested interim analysis revealed a longer duration of complete response—meaning no detectable cancer—for patients receiving ANKTIVA plus BCG compared to BCG alone. At six months, 85% of those on the combination maintained complete response versus 57% on BCG only; at nine months, the numbers were 84% versus 52%, ImmunityBio said. Founder Patrick Soon‑Shiong described the interim results as “encouraging.” Stock Titan
An update on QUILT-106 revealed early data on an off-the-shelf CD19 CAR-NK cell therapy combined with rituximab for Waldenström lymphoma. Two patients showed complete responses lasting 7 and 15 months, while four others maintained disease control. ImmunityBio’s chief medical officer for liquid tumors and cell therapy, Lennie Sender, noted that all treatments were outpatient with no serious adverse events reported so far.
Late Friday, a Rule 144 filing revealed a holder’s plan to offload 50,000 shares through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. The notice pegged the total market value at $197,500. For a stock that recently saw over 180 million shares trade in a single session, this isn’t a massive block. Still, filings like these catch traders’ eyes after a sharp price jump.
ANKTIVA secured U.S. approval in April 2024 alongside BCG for BCG-unresponsive NMIBC with carcinoma in situ, a niche already served by Merck’s Keytruda and Ferring’s gene therapy Adstiladrin as bladder-sparing treatments. The QUILT-2.005 trial targets patients earlier in their treatment journey, where BCG alone remains the usual standard.
The latest sales numbers remain preliminary, while the bladder-cancer data is interim, based on small samples and limited follow-up that could change as more patients are monitored. Any delays in enrollment, FDA responses, or manufacturing hiccups could quickly push back timelines and stall momentum.
Investors are set to dig into ANKTIVA’s demand and margins next week as ImmunityBio shifts from preliminary figures to audited results. Updates on QUILT-2.005 will also be in focus, with full enrollment expected by Q2 2026. Since markets are closed Monday, Tuesday’s open will reveal if the rally has staying power.
