FDA Authorizes ImmunityBio to Provide Recombinant BCG (rBCG) to Urologists to Address TICE BCG Shortage

ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a leading immunotherapy company, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized an expanded access program (EAP) that will bring a vital alternative source of BCG, a standard-of-care medicine in bladder cancer, to patients in the U.S.

Supply shortages of TICE BCG in the U.S. have become a significant impediment to the treatment of bladder cancer patients. In a recent Sermo survey of 100 U.S. urologists, 57 percent indicated they were unable to treat patients in the last 12 months due to a lack of access to TICE BCG.

The alternative BCG source has been developed by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume. In bladder cancer clinical trials in Europe, the recombinant BCG vaccine has demonstrated potent immunogenicity with CD8+ and CD4+ T cell stimulation and improved safety compared to earlier BCG strains and formulations.

“With the increasing threat of supply shortages of essential medicines, the biopharmaceutical industry must innovate and secure new means of ensuring uninterrupted access to vital therapeutics,” said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of ImmunityBio. “Our collaboration with the FDA and Serum Institute to ensure a reliable supply of this vital drug for bladder cancer patients underscores ImmunityBio’s commitment to addressing critical access issues that affect so many patients.”

About Recombinant BCG (rBCG)

BCG is a benign bacterium originally developed as a live vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). It is based on the well-known Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) strain. It has been in use since 1921 and administered to more than 4 billion individuals worldwide. BCG given via intravesical instillation (delivery to the bladder via a catheter) has been the standard of care for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) since 1977. BCG induces an immune response in the bladder in proximity to the cancer cells, leading to clearance of the cancer in many patients.

Two gene modifications have been implemented in rBCG to improve its immunogenicity and safety in comparison to earlier strains and formulations of BCG. Recombinant rBCG has completed Phase 1/2 human clinical studies in Europe as an immunotherapy in patients with NMIBC. The findings from those studies demonstrate that rBCG is well-tolerated when administered intravesically with a safety profile similar to placebo, and reduced rates of adverse events observed in earlier strains and formulations of BCG.