OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Pictured is the ImmunityBio production facility on Route 5 in Dunkirk.

Town of Dunkirk resident Sue Hazelton is never shy to bring something before the Town Board during public comments. At the most recent meeting, her question for the Board was one that many in the region have wondered for several years.

What is going on with the former Athenex building?

ImmunityBio, Inc., took over the former Athenex plant off Route 5 in Dunkirk in February 2022, with major layoffs to employees later that year in anticipation of 12-18 months of construction. The goal was to further develop the facility into a manufacturing plant for pharmaceutical production.

This past April, ImmunityBio received official approval from the Food and Drug Administration for ANKTIVA, a treatment for unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is the 10th most commonly-diagnosed cancer globally. The American Cancer Society estimates there will be 83,190 new cases and 16,840 deaths from bladder cancer in 2024 in the United States.

Members of the Dunkirk Town Board recently toured the ImmunityBio facility. Town of Dunkirk Supervisor Priscilla Penfold stated, in response to Hazelton’s inquiry, “After that tour, I think we feel pretty confident that it will become a reality, but it’s also going to be another year or two.”

Board member Shari Miller characterized the facility as a “pretty impressive building.” Penfold later explained that the construction company that initially did the work for Athenex did not meet the specifications for pharmaceuticals. Since taking over the facility, ImmunityBio has pushed forward with many changes to the interior of the facility, including knocking down walls and relocating equipment.

“It’s quite an undertaking,” Penfold said of the multi-million dollar renovation project.