A recent FDA agreement on a Phase III registrational trial design on lead candidate AlloNK has encouraged Artiva Biotherapeutics that a BLA submission in refractory rheumatoid arthritis could be possible by 2029, providing the clinical and regulatory backdrop for a USD 300 million equity raise.
San Diego-based Artiva Biotherapeutics (Nasdaq: ARTV) announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of common stock and pre-funded warrants, with gross proceeds expected to reach USD 300 million before underwriting discounts and other offering expenses.
The offering comprises 23,871,526 shares of common stock priced at USD 11.52 per share. In lieu of common stock, certain investors received pre-funded warrants to purchase 2,170,138 shares at USD 11.5199 per share, reflecting the offering price less a USD 0.0001 exercise price per warrant. All securities are being sold by Artiva. The offering was expected to close on or about May 11, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
The investor syndicate includes Caligan Partners, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, Adage Capital Partners, RA Capital Management, Viking Global Investors, Samsara BioCapital, EcoR1 Capital, Blackstone Multi-Asset Investing, RTW Investments, Blue Owl Healthcare Opportunities, and one unnamed large mutual fund. GC Corporation and GC Cell, both affiliated entities through Artiva's founding relationship with GC Cell, also participated in the offering. Jefferies, TD Cowen, and Cantor acted as joint book-running managers, with Wedbush PacGrow and Needham & Company serving as co-lead managers.
Company overview and pipeline
Artiva is a clinical-stage cell therapy company focused on allogeneic NK cell therapies for B-cell driven autoimmune diseases. Its lead asset, AlloNK (AB-101), is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, non-genetically modified, cryopreserved NK cell therapy designed to enhance antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and drive B-cell depletion. AlloNK is being evaluated across multiple ongoing clinical trials in autoimmune indications including rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren disease.
Artiva has secured FDA Fast Track Designation for AlloNK in refractory RA and reached agreement with the FDA on a Phase III registrational trial design in that indication, with a BLA submission targeted for 2029. Beyond AlloNK, Artiva's pipeline includes AB-201, a Phase I candidate in HER2-positive gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer, though that trial was listed as not yet recruiting as of early May 2026. The company was founded in 2019 as a spin-out of GC Cell, which granted Artiva exclusive worldwide rights, excluding Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, to its NK cell manufacturing technology. Business development activity includes a 2021 collaboration and license agreement with Merck covering up to three CAR-NK programs, with USD 30 million in upfront payments and up to USD 612 million per program in potential milestones, as well as a subsequent expanded research collaboration with Merck in 2022 and a separate NK cell collaboration with Affimed.
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