The Visionary: Soon-Shiong's Influence Fuels ImmunityBio's Ascent

By James Green

CULVER CITY, CA – December 29, 2025 – ImmunityBio, Inc. (Nasdaq: IBRX) is closing the year on a high note of prestige as its founder, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, has been named one of the '100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025' by the specialized news platform OncoDaily. This recognition comes as the commercial-stage immunotherapy company navigates a pivotal period, marked by the successful rollout of its flagship bladder cancer drug, ANKTIVA, and the immense challenge of carving out a space in a fiercely competitive market.

The honor bestowed upon Dr. Soon-Shiong, who serves as the company's Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, highlights a career defined by audacious goals and groundbreaking medical innovations. For ImmunityBio, this accolade is more than a personal tribute; it serves as a powerful validation of its scientific direction and potentially bolsters its credibility with investors, clinicians, and patients at a critical juncture in its growth story.

A Legacy of Medical Disruption

Understanding ImmunityBio’s current trajectory requires an appreciation for the decades of work that precede it. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong is not a newcomer to the high-stakes world of biotechnology. A transplant surgeon by training, his early career at UCLA in the 1980s was marked by pioneering achievements, including the university's first whole-pancreas transplant and the world's first encapsulated islet cell transplant for diabetes.

His transition from surgeon to entrepreneur was driven by a desire to translate scientific concepts into tangible therapies. This led to his most famous invention, Abraxane, a nanoparticle-based chemotherapy agent that significantly improved outcomes for patients with metastatic breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer. The journey of Abraxane was a business masterclass: he founded Abraxis BioScience to develop the drug and later sold the company to Celgene in 2010 for $2.9 billion. This followed the earlier sale of APP Pharmaceuticals to Fresenius SE for $4.6 billion, cementing his reputation as a shrewd businessman capable of navigating the complex path from lab bench to blockbuster drug.

His work extends far beyond a single company or drug. Through NantWorks, an ecosystem of health-tech startups he founded in 2011, and the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, he has channeled billions into transforming healthcare. As a signatory of The Giving Pledge, his commitment to philanthropy is as significant as his entrepreneurial ventures, funding hospitals and global health initiatives, including a major push to establish vaccine manufacturing in his native South Africa. This deep history of both scientific discovery and successful commercialization provides the foundation upon which ImmunityBio is built.

ANKTIVA's Impressive Launch

ImmunityBio's current momentum is overwhelmingly powered by ANKTIVA (N-803), its first-in-class immunotherapy. Approved by the FDA for a specific type of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), the drug has had a remarkable commercial debut in 2025. The company reported impressive quarter-over-quarter revenue growth, with sales surging from $16.5 million in the first quarter to $31.8 million by the third quarter, representing a 434% increase from the same period in 2024.

ANKTIVA's mechanism, which activates the patient's own natural killer (NK) cells and T cells to fight cancer, distinguishes it from other treatments. This is resonating in the clinical community, particularly given the compelling long-term data from its pivotal QUILT-3.032 study. Recent three-year follow-up data showed a high rate of disease-free survival and, perhaps most importantly for patients, a 92.2% rate of cystectomy avoidance—meaning patients were able to keep their bladders. This real-world impact is a powerful driver of adoption.

However, the bladder cancer space is becoming increasingly crowded. ANKTIVA competes directly with Merck’s immunotherapy giant Keytruda and Ferring Pharmaceuticals' gene therapy Adstiladrin. Johnson & Johnson has also entered the fray with its drug Inlexo, adding another layer of competitive pressure. ImmunityBio's ability to maintain its sales trajectory will depend on its capacity to effectively communicate ANKTIVA's unique clinical benefits and long-term value proposition to urologists and oncologists.

A Pipeline Beyond a Single Product

While ANKTIVA is the current star, ImmunityBio's long-term value proposition rests on a broad and ambitious pipeline. The company is leveraging its underlying immunotherapy platforms—including its IL-15 superagonist technology (the engine behind ANKTIVA) and engineered NK-cell therapies—across more than 40 clinical trials. Of these, 25 are in mid-to-late-stage development, targeting some of the most challenging cancers.

Key programs are underway for pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast cancer, and glioblastoma. This diversification is crucial for mitigating the risk of relying on a single commercial product. A strategic partnership with BeiGene to combine ANKTIVA with a PD-1 inhibitor in a Phase 3 trial for NSCLC is particularly noteworthy, as it could open up a significantly larger market and validate the drug's potential as a combination therapy backbone.

The company is also exploring its platforms beyond oncology, with trials targeting infectious diseases like HIV and even Long COVID. This expansive vision, aiming to harness the immune system in multiple disease contexts, is emblematic of Dr. Soon-Shiong's style of thinking big and tackling complex scientific problems head-on.

Balancing Prestige with Market Pressures

The recognition from OncoDaily serves as a timely reputational boost, reinforcing the narrative of a visionary-led company on the cutting edge of science. This is particularly valuable as ImmunityBio contends with the volatile realities of the public market. Its stock, IBRX, has experienced significant fluctuations, and despite soaring revenues, the company continues to post substantial net losses as it invests heavily in commercialization and R&D. A public offering in December, priced below the market, highlighted the financial pressures inherent in scaling a biotech enterprise.

Analysts see the company as a high-risk, high-reward investment. Its innovative science and the strong performance of ANKTIVA are clear positives, but its high valuation and the long, expensive road to bringing additional pipeline candidates to market remain significant hurdles. In this context, accolades like the one for Dr. Soon-Shiong are not just ceremonial. They help solidify the company's standing, attract top talent, and build confidence among partners and physicians, which are all essential ingredients for converting scientific promise into sustained commercial success.