Revolutionary Treatment Shatters Lymphopenia's Deadly Grip, Offering New Hope in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Historic Breakthrough: ASCO 2025 unveils the first-ever successful treatment for lymphopenia, dramatically improving survival in advanced pancreatic cancer.
Immune System Recharged: ImmunityBio's ANKTIVA®, with CAR-NK therapy, reversed the immune-crippling condition in a majority of heavily pre-treated patients.
Life Extended: Patients with reversed lymphopenia and lower tumor burden saw median overall survival impressively exceed 10 months in a disease with grim prognoses.

CULVER CITY, Calif. – In a stunning announcement at ASCO 2025, a beacon of hope has emerged for patients battling advanced pancreatic cancer, one of the most formidable and aggressive malignancies⁵. ImmunityBio, Inc. today unveiled pioneering data demonstrating that their novel therapy, ANKTIVA® (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln) combined with CAR-NK cell therapy, can conquer lymphopenia – a devastating condition where cancer and its treatments decimate vital immune cells, leaving patients vulnerable and contributing to early mortality^{2, 3}.

For too long, while anemia and neutropenia had treatments, lymphopenia remained an unaddressed harbinger of poor outcomes. Until now. ANKTIVA®, an IL-15 superagonist, acts as the first lymphocyte-stimulating agent, powerfully expanding the natural killer (NK) and T cells crucial for destroying cancer^{3, 8}.

The QUILT-88 trial studied 86 patients with third-to-sixth-line metastatic pancreatic cancer, a group with exceedingly high tumor burdens and virtually no existing therapeutic options. The results were nothing short of remarkable: in 67 patients whose lymphopenia was reversed (Absolute Lymphocyte Count ≥ 1,000), median overall survival was significantly prolonged (p=0.005, HR: 0.46)^{3, 7}. For those with lymphopenia rescue and a lower tumor burden, survival surpassed an incredible 10 months, a profound milestone for these advanced-stage warriors.

This landmark achievement, built upon the Cancer BioShield platform, underscores the critical importance of restoring immune competence. As one patient with 2nd line metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with the full platform remains in remission for over six years, the potential to extend life and improve quality of life is undeniable. This breakthrough offers a lifeline, potentially transforming the fight against not just pancreatic cancer, but all solid tumors where lymphopenia casts a deadly shadow³.

Revolutionary Treatment Shatters Lymphopenia's Deadly Grip, Offering New Hope in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

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