Why ImmunityBio Stock Is Soaring Today

By James Brumley – Feb 18, 2026 at 1:50PM ESTKey PointsImmunotherapy Anktiva is now approved in 33 countries, with a slew of these approvals taking shape just this week.In markets where it’s already been approved, the young treatment is experiencing strong growth.Interested investors that can stomach the risk should at least consider the volatility that’s likely to linger after today’s sharp move.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NASDAQ: IBRXImmunityBioMarket Cap$5.9BToday's Changeangle-down(41.36%) $2.49Current Price$8.51Price as of February 18, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETThe biopharma outfit's flagship cancer-fighting drug continues to rack up approvals.Wednesday's trading session is proving to be a thrilling one for ImmunityBio (IBRX +41.36%) shareholders. As of 1:50 p.m. ET today the biopharma stock is up an incredible 33.1%. The reason? Unsurprisingly, an approval of its breadwinning drug in another huge market. Approved... again ImmunityBio's oncology drug Anktiva had already been approved as a treatment for certain forms of bladder cancer as early as 2024, for the record, when the United States' FDA gave the immunotherapy the green light.

The United Kingdom followed suit in the middle of 2025, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia coming around in January of this year. On Wednesday, however, the company announced that the European Union's regulatory commission has approved the combination of its Anktiva and vaccine Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer in the 30 countries it represents. ExpandNASDAQ: IBRXImmunityBioToday's Change(41.36%) $2.49Current Price$8.51Key Data PointsMarket Cap$5.9BDay's Range$6.08 - $8.6852wk Range$1.83 - $8.68Volume2.5MAvg Vol27MGross Margin80.41% The market's bullish response is understandable too, given what we know about demand for the immunotherapy thus far. Although the drug's only been sold within the U.S. for less than two years and only won the UK's approval a few months ago, the company expects to report $113 million worth of Anktiva revenue for the fiscal year ending in December, with quarter-over-quarter growth of 20% in the final quarter of 2025 alone. That's a lot for a relatively new drug in one market, and a nearly brand-new drug in another. It's still years away from reaching its peak sales potential. Image source: Getty Images. Bladder cancer isn't Anktiva's only target either. ImmunityBio is also testing the drug as a treatment for solid tumors, Lynch Syndrome, HIV, ovarian cancer, and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Just respect the risk There's potential upside here to be sure. ImmunityBio is a relatively small company (a market cap of less than $8 billion) with a promising cancer therapy that should be competitive within a worldwide oncology market Global Market Insights expects to grow from less than $350 billion last year to more than $860 billion in 2034, with the cancer immunotherapy piece of this market alone expected to be worth $277 billion by 2032. That's roughly twice its current size. Even capturing just some of this growth could prove to be a windfall for ImmunityBio. Still, interested investors must respect the fact that such extreme bullish volatility can invite near-term profit-taking. It wouldn't be wrong for anyone who can stomach the risk to let today's dust settle before jumping in.Read NextJan 26, 2026 •By Josh Kohn-LindquistStock Market Today, Jan. 20: ImmunityBio Soars Again After FDA Outlines Resubmission Path for ANKTIVA in Bladder CancerJan 23, 2026 •By Emma NewberyStock Market Today, Jan. 23: ImmunityBio Falls After Gaining Over 200% in a MonthJan 21, 2026 •By Josh Kohn-LindquistStock Market Today, Jan. 21: ImmunityBio Rises Again As Short-Sellers Face LossesJan 16, 2026 •By Jeff SantoroStock Market Today, Jan. 16: ImmunityBio Soars After Anktiva Revenue Jumps 700 Percent Year Over YearJan 16, 2026 •By Josh Kohn-LindquistWhy ImmunityBio Stock Is Skyrocketing Again TodayJan 15, 2026 •By Josh Kohn-LindquistStock Market Today, Jan. 15: ImmunityBio Surges After Anktiva Revenue Jumps 700%About the AuthorJames Brumley is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering consumer staples and consumer discretionary stocks. James is a former licensed stockbroker with Charles Schwab, and a registered investment adviser. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a specialization in finance from Transylvania University.TMFjbrumleyX@jbrumleyStocks MentionedImmunityBioNASDAQ: IBRX$8.51 (+41.36%) $+2.49*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.