A $305 Billion Cancer Treatment Opportunity Is Putting Immuno-Oncology in the Spotlight
New York, NY – October 26, 2026 – Cancer treatment is moving into a new phase, and immuno-oncology is right at the center of it. Instead of relying only on drugs that attack tumors directly, researchers are developing treatments that help the body’s own immune system recognize and fight cancer. Some of the biggest areas to watch include personalized cancer vaccines, CAR-T cell therapies, bispecific antibodies and new drugs designed to help patients who280 no longer respond to existing treatments. The science is advancing, and drugmakers are working to turn promising research into treatments that can make a real difference for patients. For biotech companies, a successful clinical trial or a major drug approval can be a game changer. Discover the biotech companies driving the next wave of growth and opportunity: GT Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: GTBP), Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA), Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), Genmab A/S (NASDAQ: GMAB), Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE).
The market opportunity is hard to ignore. Grand View Research estimates that the global cancer immunotherapy market could grow to approximately $305.8 billion by 2033, up from an estimated $166.4 billion in 2026. That growth reflects the rising demand for new cancer treatments and the industry’s push to develop therapies that work where current options fall short. Personalized cancer vaccines, next-generation immunotherapies and combination treatments are drawing particular attention. There is no guarantee that experimental drugs will succeed, but companies that produce strong clinical results, win regulatory approval or land major pharmaceutical partnerships could have significant opportunities ahead. For investors watching the biotech sector, immuno-oncology remains an important area to follow as new data and potential breakthroughs emerge.
Five Developments Putting Immuno-Oncology in the Spotlight
- Personalized Cancer Vaccines: Researchers are developing vaccines designed around an individual patient’s tumor, with the aim of helping the immune system target cancer more precisely.
- Bispecific Antibodies: These treatments are designed to target two different molecules or pathways, offering another way to attack cancer and potentially overcome resistance to existing drugs.
- New Options for Lung Cancer: Researchers are testing new immunotherapy combinations for advanced lung cancer, including treatments for patients whose disease has progressed after earlier therapy.
- CAR-T and Engineered Cell Therapies: These treatments modify immune cells to help them recognize and attack cancer. They have already changed care for some blood cancers, while researchers work to make them more effective against solid tumors.
- A Growing Market: Grand View Research projects the global cancer immunotherapy market could reach approximately $305.8 billion by 2033. The figure covers a broad range of cancer immunotherapies, not just the narrower immuno-oncology drug market.
The bottom line: Immuno-oncology has real potential, but the winners will be the companies that can turn research into treatments that work. Clinical results, regulatory decisions, funding and commercial partnerships will all matter. Promising science alone does not guarantee an approved drug or a successful investment.
Market figures are third-party estimates and may vary by research firm and market definition. Investments in biotechnology carry significant risks, including clinical-trial failure, regulatory delays and the possibility that a treatment never reaches the market.
GT Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: GTBP) Selected for Oral Presentation at the SITC 2026 Annual Meeting – GT Biopharma, Inc. (the “Company”), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company focused on developing innovative therapeutics based on the Company’s proprietary TriKE® natural killer (NK) cell engager platform, today announced that it has been selected for an oral presentation at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 2026 Annual Meeting taking place from November 4-8, 2026 in Phoenix, AZ.
Oral Presentation Details:
Presentation Title: Inhibition of the KRAS oncoprotein sensitizes pancreatic cancer to NK cell immunotherapy – Abstract No.: 655
Presenter: Paarth Dodhiawala, University of Minnesota Medical School1 – Presentation Date: Friday, November 6, 2026 – Presentation Time: 3:05-3:20 PM MT – Location: North Building – 300 Level – Halls BC – Session 106a: Combination Therapies Involving Cell Therapy, 1:45-3:25 PM MST
Session Description: While cell therapy has transformed the treatment of certain hematologic malignancies, its impact in solid tumors remains limited by antigen heterogeneity, immunosuppressive microenvironments, and nutrient deprivation. As efforts to engineer more effective immune cells continue, there is growing interest in combining cell therapies with complementary approaches to enhance their function and engage endogenous immunity. This session will highlight diverse strategies to extend the clinical impact of cell therapies through rational combination approaches. Session Schedule: https://www.sitcancer.org/2026/schedule/sitc-2026-schedule#session-1596 Continued… Read this full release and additional news for GT Biopharma by visiting: https://www.gtbiopharma.com/news-media/press-releases
1 The University of Minnesota, pursuant to its license agreement with GT Biopharma, is entitled to receive royalties should commercial sales of product using the TriKE technology be realized, including GTB-3650 and GTB-5550. This interest has been reviewed and managed by the University of Minnesota in accordance with its conflict of interest policies.
Recent News, Strategic Developments, and Growth Catalysts Shaping the Biotech and Pharmaceutical Sectors Include:
Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) and Merck (MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States Canada, and recently announced detailed positive recurrence-free survival (RFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) results from the Phase 3 INTerpath-001 trial evaluating intismeran autogene (intismeran; V940 or mRNA-4157), a novel investigational mRNA-based individualized neoantigen therapy (INT) being jointly developed by Merck and Moderna, in combination with KEYTRUDA ® (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, as adjuvant treatment for patients with completely resected stage IIB-IV melanoma. These late-breaking results will be presented for the first time during Presidential Symposium I at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026 (Presentation #LBA1), were selected for an official ESMO Press Briefing and have been accepted for publication in The New England Journal of Medicine .
At the primary pre-specified analysis (intention-to-treat), after a median follow-up of 24.6 months, intismeran in combination with KEYTRUDA significantly reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 42% (HR=0.58 [95% CI, 0.45–0.75]; two-sided p<0.001). Intismeran plus KEYTRUDA also significantly reduced the risk of distant metastasis or death by 38% (HR=0.62 [95% CI, 0.45–0.85]; two-sided p=0.002) compared to KEYTRUDA alone. The improvements observed in RFS and DMFS were generally consistent across pre-specified patient subgroups. Overall survival (OS) data are not yet mature, but a favorable trend in OS with intismeran plus KEYTRUDA has been observed. The study remains ongoing to further evaluate OS and other key endpoints. The safety profile of intismeran plus KEYTRUDA was generally consistent with previously reported studies of the combination, and no new safety signals were observed. Based on these data, we are engaging with regulatory authorities.
Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: IOVA), a commercial biotechnology company focused on innovating, developing, and delivering novel polyclonal tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies for patients with cancer, recently announced that one-time lifileucel combined with pembrolizumab demonstrated a 62.5% ORR and a 29.2% CR rate, with median OS not reached at 50.9 months of median study follow-up in the final Phase 2 analysis in frontline advanced melanoma. The Phase 2 results were presented on October 23, 2026 in a Proffered Paper oral session at the ESMO Congress 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
In frontline advanced melanoma, approximately half of patients treated with combination immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy do not achieve long-term benefit, a widely recognized unmet need. Following successful adoption of lifileucel in the post-anti-PD-1 therapy setting, this Phase 2 data supports the earlier use and potential approval of lifileucel plus pembrolizumab in frontline advanced melanoma. Iovance estimates that 70,000 patients with frontline advanced melanoma are addressable each year in global markets with high prevalence.
Genmab A/S (NASDAQ: GMAB) recently announced updated follow-up analyses from a Phase 2 trial evaluating petosemtamab, an investigational IgG1-bispecific antibody targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and leucine-rich repeat containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), in combination with FOLFOX or FOLFIRI in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). At a median follow-up of 5.9 months in the first-line (1L) setting and 7.1 months in the second-line (2L) setting, confirmed and unconfirmed objective response rates (ORRs) were 75% and 67%, respectively, with an ORR of 81% observed among 1L patients with left-sided tumors. With longer follow-up, most of the previously unconfirmed objective responses were subsequently confirmed, reinforcing the consistency of the clinical activity observed across treatment settings. The updated analyses reinforce the depth and durability of responses observed in both 1L and 2L treatment settings and support the ongoing global Phase 3 development program. The findings were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026, held in Madrid, Spain.
“Despite advances in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, outcomes remain poor for many patients once disease has spread, including those with RAS/BRAF wild-type disease who may face limited options after standard chemotherapy and targeted therapy,” said Ruth Vera, M.D., Medical Oncology Department, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, and study investigator. “The encouraging response rates observed in both the first- and second-line settings, along with the maturation of the dataset over time, suggest that treatment with petosemtamab plus chemotherapy may offer a potential new approach for these patients.”
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) recently announced detailed results across serotypes from a Phase 2 study for its investigational 25-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate, PF-07872412 (25vPnC), in infants. In the study, a four-dose series of 25vPnC elicited robust immune responses against all 25 serotypes and showed safety and tolerability comparable to four doses of PREVNAR 20® (Pneumococcal 20-valent Conjugate Vaccine). These findings were shared today in an oral presentation at IDWeek 2026 in Washington, D.C.
These data support the ongoing Phase 3 development program for 25vPnC, which, if successful, could help provide protection against serotypes collectively responsible for approximately 84% of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases among children under five years of age in the U.S.
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