NantWorks and ImmunityBio Announce Inaugural U.S.-Saudi Biotech Alliance Summit to Advance Immunotherapy 2.0 and Global Health Security
- Co-chaired by Her Royal Highness Dr. Haya bint Khaled Al Saud, His Excellency Dr. Bandar Alknawy, and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong
- Convening national government, scientific, and investment leaders from the United States and Saudi Arabia
- Focused on accelerating innovation, modernizing AI-enabled biomanufacturing, and strengthening preparedness for cancer, pandemics, and life-threatening infections
NantWorks, LLC, and ImmunityBio, Inc. ((IBRX), today announced the inaugural U.S.-Saudi Biotech Alliance Summit, to be held in conjunction with the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm Pacific Time.
Convened by NantWorks, the Summit brings together national leaders from the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across government, healthcare delivery, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and finance. The Summit is designed to foster implementation and collaboration to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and global deployment of next-generation immunotherapies and healthcare technologies.
Co-chairs include Her Royal Highness Dr. Haya bint Khaled Al Saud, Senior Vice President of Research at the Hevolution Foundation; His Excellency Dr. Bandar Alknawy, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs and President of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; and Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Chairman of NantWorks and Founder, Executive Chairman, and Global Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of ImmunityBio.
The Summit is designed to move beyond dialogue toward actionable collaboration. The morning program will feature keynote addresses, ministerial presentations, and panel discussions addressing Saudi Arabia's National Biotechnology Strategy, regional and global biomanufacturing hubs, pandemic and health-security preparedness, regulatory alignment, and U.S.–Saudi investment and commercialization pathways. Afternoon sessions will highlight scientific and technological advances in immunotherapy, antibody discovery, artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital health.
"The Inaugural U.S.–Saudi Biotech Alliance Summit reflects a shared commitment to translating scientific innovation into real-world patient impact," said Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. "By aligning national leadership from the United States and Saudi Arabia, this forum is designed to accelerate implementation, strengthen regulatory and manufacturing pathways, and expand access to breakthrough therapies for cancer and life-threatening infectious diseases. This initiative is about moving from strategy to execution."
About The U.S.-Saudi Biotech Alliance Summit:
The Summit underscores a broader bilateral effort to strengthen healthcare resilience, modernize AI-driven manufacturing, expand clinical research infrastructure, and enhance long-term preparedness for global health threats, while improving access to advanced therapies across regions.
Participants
Co-chairs and speakers include:
- Her Royal Highness Dr. Haya bint Khaled Al Saud, Senior Vice President of Research, Hevolution Foundation (Co-Chair)
- His Excellency Dr. Bandar Alknawy, CEO, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs; President, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (Co-Chair)
- Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Founder and Executive Chairman, NantWorks; Founder, Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, ImmunityBio (Co-Chair)
Additional speakers include senior representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Investment, the Ministry of Health, and the Saudi Food & Drug Authority. Senior representatives from the U.S. administration, committed to national preparedness and the resilience of key infrastructure, will also participate, along with leading U.S. life sciences innovators, investors, and financial institutions.
Presentations from the Summit will be recorded and made available on the ImmunityBio website in the News and Events section. The Summit will also be streamed on the homepage of LATimes.com on Friday, January 16, 2026.
Attendance is by invitation and subject to review. Individuals interested in registering may submit professional credentials and profiles for consideration by emailing [email protected].
About ImmunityBio
ImmunityBio is a vertically integrated commercial stage biotechnology company developing next-generation therapies that bolster the natural immune system to defeat cancers and infectious diseases. The Company's range of immunotherapy and cell therapy platforms, alone and together, act to drive and sustain an immune response with the goal of creating durable and safe protection against disease. Designated an FDA Breakthrough Therapy, ANKTIVA is the first FDA-approved immunotherapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer CIS that activates NK cells, T cells, and memory T cells for a long-duration response. The Company is applying its science and platforms to treating cancers, including the development of potential cancer vaccines, as well as developing immunotherapies and cell therapies that we believe sharply reduce or eliminate the need for standard high-dose chemotherapy. These platforms and their associated product candidates are designed to be more effective, accessible, and easily administered than current standards of care in oncology and infectious diseases. For more information, visit ImmunityBio.com (Founder's Vision) and connect with us on X (Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
About NantWorks
NantWorks, LLC applies advanced science and technology to address some of the world's most complex challenges. The company serves as the parent organization to a portfolio of private and public companies operating across three core pillars: Health & Life Sciences, Energy & Renewables, and Connectivity & Communications.
Founded by physician, scientist, and inventor Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, NantWorks is focused on the convergence of biology, engineering, computing, and data to accelerate discovery, expand manufacturing capability, and improve healthcare outcomes globally. Through integrated platforms spanning therapeutics, diagnostics, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing, NantWorks seeks to translate innovation into scalable, real-world solutions.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated timing, format, scope, objectives, influence, and potential benefits of the Inaugural U.S.–Saudi Biotech Alliance Summit (the "Summit") as well as those related to ImmunityBio's participation in the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (the "Conference"), and the potential impact of the Summit and the Conference on collaboration, partnerships, innovation, sales, and strategic opportunities for the Company.
Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "plans," "may," "intends," "projects," "could," "seeks," "will," and similar expressions and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future opportunities for collaboration, partnership development, scientific innovation and strategic initiatives. Actual results or events may differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, changes in market conditions, the ability to successfully organize and execute the Company's strategy as planned, regulatory and policy developments, competitive dynamics, and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. More details about these and other risks that may impact ImmunityBio's business are described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 3, 2025, and the Company's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on November 5, 2025 and in subsequent filings made by ImmunityBio with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. ImmunityBio cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. ImmunityBio does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement or other information in this press release, except to the extent required by law.
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ImmunityBio Contacts:
Investors
Hemanth Ramaprakash, PhD, MBA
ImmunityBio, Inc.
+1 858-746-9289
[email protected]
Media
Jen Hodson
NantWorks
+ 1 562-397-3639
[email protected]
Christian Pflaumer
On behalf of ImmunityBio
[email protected]
+1 917 841 4525