Artiva Biotherapeutics said it is cutting 94% of its workforce and exploring strategic options after two patient deaths and durability concerns around AlloNK. The company paused enrollment and canning a planned Phase 3 pivotal trial following risk-benefit review of its allogeneic, off-the-shelf natural killer cell therapy. Artiva linked the first death to chemotherapy-associated neurotoxicity from lymphodepletion used with the study regimen, after FDA interaction and safety review prompted pausing. The second fatality was determined unrelated to AlloNK, but cause of death remains undetermined, leaving continuing uncertainty for the program’s therapeutic window. The retrenchment is a sharp reminder that cell therapies face higher operational and regulatory scrutiny, especially when signals on durability and safety collide. For investors and peers, it also signals how quickly companies may pivot to licensing, merger, or dissolution when clinical readouts and risk profiles diverge.