BUZZ-Iovance rises as investors brush off regulatory delay for cancer drug

** Shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics IOVA.O up 19.5% to $5.55 premarket

** Co says the U.S. FDA extended the decision date on its skin cancer drug due to resource constraints and did raise any major issues with manufacturing or data

** IOVA stock fell ~14% on Thursday after co canceled appearances at a Jefferies conference, raising investor concerns over the FDA flagging manufacturing issues related to the cancer drug

** Brokerage Baird says the delay, which comes amid speculation, "is better than feared and bodes well for approval"

** FDA expected to make its decision on the drug in February year instead of Nov. 25 this year

** Co's drug Lifileucel is intended for patients with advanced melanoma, a type of skin cancer

** Shares down 27.3% YTD, set for their third straight year of declines

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh)

((Christy.Santhosh@thomsonreuters.com))