Artiva Pursues IPO to Fund NK Cell Therapy After Losing Merck Partnership

1. Artiva's IPO Plans: Artiva Biotherapeutics is planning an initial public offering (IPO) to fund its non-genetically modified, cryopreserved NK cell therapy, which is currently in a phase 1/1b trial.
2. Loss of Merck Partnership: Artiva lost its partnership with Merck, prompting the need for alternative funding through an IPO.
3. NK Cell Therapy: The therapy is derived from "natural killer" (NK) cells and is being studied for the treatment of blood cancer and autoimmune diseases.
4. Phase 1/1b Trial: The NK cell therapy is currently in a phase 1/1b trial in combination with either Roche's monoclonal antibody.
5. Merck's New Partnership: Merck has partnered with N-Power Medicine for cancer clinical trials, using N-Power's clinical trial platform.