The Power of Immunotherapy:
Cures in Our Lifetime

Immunology and immunotherapies are medical treatments that harness the body’s own immune system to recognize and stop diseases. Unlike traditional treatments like chemotherapy (which kills cells), immunotherapies activate the body’s immune system – empowering the body to heal itself.

Immunotherapies are Already Treating Debilitating Diseases

There have been about 145 FDA-approved immunotherapies, with over 1,500 more in clinical development:

Disease Category What They Treat Number of Approved Treatments
Cancer Bile duct, biliary tract, bladder, blood, brain, breast, colorectal, head/neck, kidney, liver, oral, ovarian, pancreatic, skin (melanoma) cancers among others. 67
IMMUNE / INFLAMMATORY Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn’s, Asthma and Multiple Sclerosis. 42
CARDIOVASCULAR Preventing heart attacks, strokes and treating Hemophilia. 11
INFECTIOUS DISEASES HIV, Hepatitis, RSV and Ebola. 8
NEUROLOGIC Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and chronic migraines. 7
METABOLIC, GENETIC & OTHER Diabetes, Macular Degeneration (eye disease), Osteoporosis, Sickle Cell and others. 10
Sources: The Antibody Society database of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies approved in the U.S. www.antibodysociety.org; Rawat, K. (2025, April 17). 7 FDA-Approved CAR T-Cell Therapies Advancing Cancer Treatment.

Proven Breakthroughs

  • Melanoma & Lung Cancer: Some patients who once had only months to live are still in remission after several years thanks to immunotherapy treatments that unmask “hidden” cancer cells.
  • Autoimmune Relief: For those with Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus, immunotherapy can “calm down” an overactive immune system, stopping it from attacking the body’s own joints and organs.
  • Blood Disorders: New therapies “reprogram” a patient’s own cells to hunt down leukemia, providing long-term remission.

Tomorrow’s Promising Cures

Because almost every disease involves the immune system in some way, the potential for new cures is massive. Scientists and researchers are currently on the verge of breakthroughs for:

  • Neurological Diseases: Research is showing how we can "clear out" the plaques in the brain that cause Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and slow the progression of ALS.
  • Chronic Conditions: Researchers are learning how to “reset” the immune system to stop it from attacking the body, which could lead to cures for Type 1 Diabetes, Lupus and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
  • Heart Disease: New research aims to use the immune system to reduce inflammation in the heart and repair damaged tissue after a heart attack.
  • Other Cancers: Preclinical data and ongoing clinical research show promising potential for immunotherapies to shrink brain and other tumors, treat bone cancer and be combined with traditional treatments to address prostate cancer.

The California Immunology Research & Cures Initiative will invest in a future where the most devastating diseases can become preventable and curable.

Download The Power of Immunotherapy Fact Sheet