Artiva Biotherapeutics Cuts 94% of Staff After AlloNK Failure

The decision follows a directive from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pause enrollment and dosing in a Phase 2a study after the company reported the first of two participant deaths. Artiva attributed one fatality to fludarabine toxicity, a common complication in cell therapy conditioning, while investigators deemed the second death unrelated to the study treatment. Despite these findings, updated long-term data revealed the therapy failed to meet necessary response thresholds to justify a planned Phase 3 trial.

Artiva, which held a market capitalization of approximately $300 million before shares slid 31% in premarket trading to $4.28, is now shifting focus toward maximizing remaining value. With 104 employees on the payroll at the end of 2025, the company plans to lay off nearly its entire staff. Management confirmed that as of September 30, the firm maintained $319.1 million in cash, equivalents, and investments, providing a financial runway as it navigates a possible merger or business dissolution.