ImmunityBio, Inc., a commercial-stage immunotherapy company based in the US, has announced a partnership with Biopharma and Cigalah, two of the largest healthcare commercial and distribution companies in the Middle East, to launch ANKTIVA® (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept) in Saudi Arabia and, over time, across the broader MENA region.
Under the agreement, Biopharma and Cigalah Healthcare will support the commercialisation and distribution of ANKTIVA in two indications: In combination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary disease; and in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
ImmunityBio has established a wholly owned subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, to support its distribution, commercialisation, and growth across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Lung cancer is among the most prevalent cancers in Saudi Arabia and is the third most common cancer among males over 45 years of age, according to the Saudi Ministry of Health. Lebanon has the highest incidence of bladder cancer cases globally, while Syria and Egypt also rank among the countries with the greatest burden of the disease.
