ImmunityBio Tests CD19 CAR-NK Therapy For Resistant Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma In South Africa

ImmunityBio, Inc. has begun dosing patients in a groundbreaking trial exploring the potential of its CD19-targeted CAR-NK cell therapy for treating non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). In this initial QUILT 106 study, high-affinity NK (t-haNK) cells are being tested as a standalone therapy and, upon establishing safety, will be combined with the NHL treatment rituximab for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell NHL that tests positive for CD19 and CD20. The open-label Phase 1 study will enroll up to 10 patients at three \South African sites: Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Bloemfontein.

This is the first South African cancer trial focusing on a cellular-based NK cell therapy. The condition under focus in this research is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy with no definite treatment available. According to the Cancer Association of South Africa, NHL is the sixth most common cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa and ranks among the most frequently diagnosed cancers in South Africa.

Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Executive Chairman, Founder and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ImmunityBio, said, “This trial is important for ImmunityBio as our first clinical study of our CAR-NK, CD19 t-haNK cell line, as well as one of our first studies in liquid tumors. He also said, “We have chosen to undertake this trial because Sub-Saharan African and, in particular, South African populations are often overlooked when it comes to advanced clinical research, despite the need for innovative immunotherapies in the region.”

ImmunityBio anticipates complete patient enrollment in early 2025, with initial results expected in the latter half of that year. This South African trial is similar to ImmunityBio’s ongoing QUILT 3.092 study in the U.S., which also evaluates CD19 t-haNK as a solo treatment and in combination with IL-15 superagonist N-803 (ANKTIVA®) and rituximab for patients with resistant NHL.