ImmunityBio Secures U.S. Rights for Tokyo Strain of BCG to Address Shortage
ImmunityBio, Inc. has signed an exclusive U.S. Development and Supply Agreement with Japan BCG Laboratory for the Tokyo strain of BCG (Tokyo-172 BCG). This agreement aims to address the longstanding BCG shortage in the United States by providing a second potential source of BCG. The Tokyo strain has shown non-inferior efficacy compared to TICE BCG in a Phase III trial for high-grade non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. ImmunityBio plans to engage with the FDA to pursue approval for this strain, which has been used in Japan for nearly 30 years.