ImmunityBio, NantKwest To Merge In All-stock Transaction - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - ImmunityBio, a privately-held immunotherapy company, and therapeutics company NantKwest, Inc. (NK) announced Monday that they have entered into an agreement to merge in a stock-for-stock transaction. The combination will create a leading immunotherapy and cell therapy company focused on oncology and infectious disease.

Together, ImmunityBio and NantKwest will have a broad, clinical-stage pipeline, including 13 assets in clinical trials and 11 in Phase II to III, as well as a robust early stage pipeline to address other difficult to treat cancers.

Under the terms of the agreement, ImmunityBio shareholders will 0.8190 shares of NantKwest for each share of ImmunityBio owned. Upon completion of the transaction, on a fully diluted basis, ImmunityBio shareholders will own approximately 72% of the combined company and NantKwest shareholders will own approximately 28% of the combined company, on a fully diluted basis.

The transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2021, is subject to shareholder approval by a majority of unaffiliated shareholders of NantKwest, in addition to other customary closing conditions.

Following the closing of the transaction, the combined company will assume the ImmunityBio name and continue to be listed on the NASDAQ exchange. However, the combined company ticker symbol is expected to be changed to IBRX.

Richard Adcock will become the CEO of the combined company, and Dr. Soon-Shiong will serve as Executive Chairman of the Board. The combined company will be headquartered at ImmunityBio's offices in Culver City, California.

In a separate press release issued today, ImmunityBio announced that ImmunityBio's IL-15 fusion protein, Anktiva, with FDA Breakthrough Therapy status for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer CIS, has achieved primary endpoint with 72% complete response.