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Stac, If Direct's Ph1 results to-date are WOW and truly indicate an ability for NWBO DC's to overcome local and systemic immune suppression by the tumor, then I've got to believe there will not only be a company PR Tue or Wed well in advance of the SITC Poster Exhibit on Friday, Nov 7th but also some sort of investor conference call the following week to explain what this means for the company.
That would be in addition to (or because):
- publishing the scientific abstract on SITC's Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer which lay people might not understand and most do not read
- MD Anderson doctors at the booth communicating with visitors on a one-on-one basis which nobody can listen in on.
Pyrr - On your SA article, that was really good. Thx.
Thanks Sentiment. Yes it is using the legitimate as a cover for the actual illegitimate and illegal activities.
This stock is closely held, it's difficult for institutions to take a position.
The storm will be the next run on the news. That's the way they make their money... run it then sell at the top and short it down. Cover, rinse, repeat.
IMO - it's the lull before the storm. MM's have reloaded and waiting to pull the trigger. - by Xena
Well said Flipper.
Along the same lines of appreciating the depth of NWBO's accomplishments during the last several years in EU (2014 revenue in German, 2015 revenue in UK coming), I would add / emphasize:
- even with lots of money, not many other companies could accomplish what NWBO management has accomplished during the same time frame. Not all CEOs have the vision to invest the time and money in the EU when time and money was so scarce for a small company like NWBO.
- even while operating on a shoestring budget and staff, NWBO has done what other companies could not. DCVAX-L is the "first" to get hospital exemption in Germany and for UK, the first product selected for the first step of a two-step process to receive early patient access likely in 2015, which leads to revenues.
One can question NWBO's actions as a shareholder regarding individual financings, contracts, mfg partners, decisions, and timing, but my overall gut check is whether the ratio of accomplishment, time spent, money used, and value generated is good or bad.
- accomplishment - start of revenues Q4 2014 (wow!), DCVAX-D and L looking strong.
- time spent - guessing 3-5 years on EU effort (given how hard it is as demonstrate by how other companies do not take this effort on, this is also a wow)
- money used / dilution - 60M shares outstanding is not bad (CLDX is at 89M OS shares, IMUC also 60M OS)
- value generated - time will tell on the stock price but it is low currently. However I say this is likely due to illegal naked shorting and other nefarious manipulation tactics.
So far I am very happy with the management team and their progress. If I were in the future where NWBO did ultimately provide a cure for cancer, and I was looking back, how could such a world changing accomplishment be done smoothly without all the challenges we are facing today.
This may be a naive question but since the dendritic cell mobilizes the t-cell and all other mechanisms to kill bacteria and virus, could DCVAX-L theoretically be combined with ebola to create a cure?
I was thinking the issue with not using a SOC chemo/radiation treatment was that there is a 8 day mfg period after tumor resection plus a 30 day quality control testing before making it available to the patient, therefore the tumor had ample time to regrow. The question then is whether DCVAX-L without chemo/radiation follow-up would be sufficient to deal with a full grown healthy tumor.
Also the purpose of the chemo/radiation was not so the dendritic cells could pick up more tumor antigens, not needed because it already has done that during the mfg lysate process. The purpose was to weaken the tumor so the DCVAX-L empowered DC's would reach its target.
Not an expert on shorting but my understanding is shorts / naked shorts only have to cover when NWBO is acquired and all open trades need to be closed out. However until then and in the meantime they are taking on high risk at this low PPS and paying a high borrowing rate, ie XX%. When news breaks out and a sustained upswing in price is clear, they will want to cover and reshort later or not.
Hodge, Very well said.
I agree. A PR was warranted due to the aggressive drop in stock price, regardless of sequence or timing of a financing occurring. Basically an over 50% over a 6-8 week period is severe and if sustained over a long period of time, it does matter in substance. Good long term investors might capitulate resulting in an increased mix/proportion of "traders" instead, and perception of something being wrong could turn into a reality if potential investors and patients take on the view "where there's smoke there must be fire". IMO there is just continued manipulation and naked shorting going on. So putting out an interim progress update PR is the smart thing to do.
Thanks Flipper. That was an inspirational 50 second video.
For any tectonic plate shifting, disruptive technology, that leapfrogs mankind from the current SOC for GBM or any glioblastoma of brute force chemo / radiation onto a potential cure, onto an autologous treatment platform that uses your own immune system where the only side effect is a mild fever, to cure and save lives, you've got to have guts, gonads, and lots of optimism. Painful disclosure: my guts and gonads got a beating these last couple of weeks, but I never let go of my optimism! I feel NWBO is doing the right thing for society, patients, and us shareholders, where time will tell. IMHO
Red, Hope you get well soon. In case this is helpful where the cause of energy loss remains an unknown, consider looking around your environment for changes, ie mold/mildew, exposed chemicals. This may sound too simple, much to my autologous approach to health, but during this interim time try to get enough fresh air, some sun, eat natural/organic, and exercise. The bright side to a short term illness is that if you take on an additional healthy habit in response, that lasts a lifetime.
The stock being down sharply these last few weeks and closing at $4.00/sh today is definitely a loss for us longs, but if the reason is a net increase in # of shares shorted, then there will be a compensating (squeeze) pendulum swing later. That is why it is best to ignore these temporary price manipulations and be in the game when the price moves bubbly up later.
Agree. The additional financing seems normal to me as well. It's good to see money raised for expansion and growth into EU. With near term cash concerns removed as an obstacle, the runway is clear for acceleration. A positive.
I suspiciously think the AF & bandits are trying to rapidly bring the price of stock down to possibly disrupt the equity financing prior to closing, ie scare investor or to renegotiate terms.
Thx Flipper. Ha I was thinking Fahrenheit not Celsius. That makes sense now.
I'm wondering how to reconcile the normal fever one gets when one's body is fighting a sickness vs the DCVAX treatment of negligible fever of at most 2 degrees. Any help?
Well said and expresses what I always fuzzily thought. Credit goes to LP because for a company, compassion has to come from the top.
I guess I am more comfortable than you wrt the "potential" risk of Cognate overcharging NWBO due to LP's conflict of interest situation. This is how I look at it:
1. The only way to avoid it is to go use another vendor. That is a big risk because with hindsight, Cognate delivered! We got manufacturing approvals in the USA, Germany, and UK in a timely and efficient way. I suppose we indirectly protected our intellectual property in the process too from too many eyes. I'm willing to pay a premium for that.
2. The price of raising $1 in the open market to pay for such manufacturing fees to a new vendor in cash might be more expensive than the risk of being overcharged some nominal %. I am thinking, Investment Banker fees 7%, discount on the stock price to new investors 10%, and giving them warrants at 30% coverage. Also what impact does having to raise 2X the amount of cash we actually did raise in the open market on the SP? More headlines... Then there is the manipulation from shorts who will take advantage of all these new shares and warrants in float to drive the price down, 10%, 20%?
I agree we won't see any of the law firms "investigating" NWBO for unethical activity to put out a PR just because no plaintiffs have come forward to-date. However if there really is no formal suit, then NWBO could let everyone know that there has been none. Possibly putting out a PR of such might be a jinx but mentioning it to an analysts like Larry Smith or at a presentation might be a simple thing to get the word out.
It seems we don't have much coverage from investment analysts. The only ones I see are Summer Street (Buy) and Oppenheimer (Perform) on Yahoo Finance and of course Smith on Stocks (Buy).
A buy recommendation from a new reputable one and their assessment would go a long way with retail and institutional investors. They should easily see through and discount the publicity stunts of AF and attorneys, and possibly the large short interest would present a huge undervaluation opportunity in their view to do well.
Anybody know a good analyst? (I say this facetiously because I know it is LP's and a CFO's job to search them out, and LP has more important priorities now - revenue and clinical trials).
No better time than now to interject a thanks to all the contributors, especially Flipper, Pyrr, Dok, Long, Evaluate, Xena. In case you don't know, I'm reading and appreciating.
Since the timeline to L data is pushed out, it is good to understand what we can look forward to in the next 3 to 6 months. A quote from Pyrrhonian:
Catalysts upcoming:
--Open label Ph I/II DCVax-L trial with adjuvants set to conclude this fall (possibly later). Data on 83 patients. Great confirmatory trial of sorts. This is the type of thing AA could be granted on (not that it will--it won't, but AA has been granted off a number of open label studies that confirm treatment effect).
--More Direct updates--tumor shrinkage beyond 30, 40, 50%? Adaptive Licensing approval from EMA? Breakthrough Therapy designation from FDA? All possible at any point.
--Reimbursement negotiations being finalized for Hospital Exemption. Basically any news on this pops the pps. Could be imminent, as our DD on German sickness funds timelines for orphan drugs are 6 months after approval. That would put it at late Aug/ Sept
--Simple stock pressure. Upward trending. $6 today will be $7 with pressure to buy, low pressure to sell. Supply and demand. Should cause an upward trend in and of itself. The more people see what's going on here the more will want in, and the less will want to leave.
TOB - How do you know AF is on vacation and where? Are you related?
Out of curiosity, you are moderator of 11 boards on IHub. I can only imagine that requires an almost full time effort on your part.
Evaluate - Thanks for this great find.
It takes 8 days to produce the vaccine and then it is sent for quality control testing, an additional 35-40 days.
Pyrr - Very nice article!
Sentiment: Very nice analogy. Let's see the NWBO story play out this way over the next couple of weeks.
Afford - The fallacy to AF's article on the 28% tumor reduction equating to no-efficacy is this:
1. Tumor size and reduction is not a valid measure when the trial is not complete yet, particularly when patients have not even received the full set of treatments. The reason is during the initial stage, when the T-cells (B-cells, macrophages, etc) are fighting the cancer, the tumor will actually increase in size because T-cells are stuffing themselves inside the tumor. It is only afterwards when the dead cancer cells are cleansed away that the tumor size will shrink. The fighting is still in process.
2. Tumor necrosis, on the other hand, can present a snapshot view of biological activity or efficacy. The measurement process though would be based on doing a biopsy to determine whether or not the tumor contents indeed include T-cells (active) and cancer cells (dead). Tumor size does not show this.
Dok - Done. I deleted the Yahoo MB post and posted a new one instead.
Ou - Hilarious... a discussion with AF, biker story style. That would be one helluva Doktor visit.
It seems from this video and my interpretation is that naked short sellers that do not deliver sold shares to buyers can't lose.
- If the company being shorted goes bankrupt (the PPS drop kills a bank loan covenant or pending financing)- they cover at $0.
- If the company continues as most do and there is never any reconciliation, except in the case of M&A or going private, then they can delay covering forever and hold onto the cash forever. That also means an unlimited supply of cash.
- Reg Sho can force a delivery, after which the naked shorts can just rinse-repeat. Inbetween, they fund the delivery by the cash from naked shorting another victim company.
On the topic of removing shares from the shorting pool:
Despite naked shorting, there are a number of legal shorts and within that category are layers or %'s of legal shorts that are nervous, ready to cover, or confident. We don't have to change the world of naked shorting or the landscape with the little immediate effect Yahoo MB collaboration, just kick off a small chunk of snow from the top of the mountain and watch to see if it turns into a self building snowball with a lot of momentum.
Let's not lose sight of this fact - when good news hits, there WILL be a short squeeze, DESPITE the existence of naked short sellers.
Sharpie - Nice Job! And thanks for sharing the info on Merrill Edge.
Pyrr -
Look, go to town! All 6 of you haha.. Don't you see how small your reach is? These are message boards. Do you know what the daily traffic is for these things? Taken as a whole they're barely impressive. And then you divide that by the number of stocks and differing topics and threads and you get maybe a few hundred looking at ALL the NWBO boards a day. On average. Then you need to convince those from this very small pool of viewers to enlist in your mission.If you convince 10 I would be shocked.
ou - Regarding:
We're getting news on Direct shortly, hopefully DCVax-L too. If we get good news, as I expect - all I suggest is that those that are extremely over weighted in the stock - take something off the table. It doesn't have to be all or most of your investment. But take a small piece off the table. Use it to buy a 2nd stock with a potential breakthrough therapy in a different disease.
BJoe: Thanks for the research. Either Optionhouse, Ameritrade, and Smith Barney all have different rules for how they govern the # of shares they loan out or we got a similar situation to the Too Big To Fail one, where a Too Big To Know What the Hell is Going On Even Though I Work Here situation is going on. Troublesome. Like you say, it seems a no margin account is safest.
Sentiment:
Thanks for the feedback and highlighting 2 ways to fight shorts and bump up the price next week.
1. Charles Schwab. It sounds like the same as the Etrade policy. In effect => do not borrow money (no margin) on your brokerage account (cannot have even a penny owed, algorithm driven) => this removes shares your broker can lend out.
2. Buying stocks is another way to fight shorts. (ie with cash or allocating more of investment diversification into NWBO)
I assume your comment on this collaboration plan not working refers to the likelihood and assumption that investors on this MB are 1) on margin + will not let go and 2) possibly most true longs are powder dry or are already over-allocated in NWBO. Possible, likely a % are, but I guess not more than half. At only 55,000 shares available to short, short on ammunition, short on morals, short on curing patients with cancer, and soon to be short on shares to short, I believe even 1 investor with the means and the will can make that happen.
Retired: That is interesting, don't know why.
If my shares sold for $150/sh each, I would not worry about what tax rate I was paying. I would be thinking diversification. Because diversification keeps a rich man rich and a poor man poor. I am trying to move from the level of long-time biotech investor poor to diversification rich.
Dok: I just posted the call for action on the yahoo MB. "Collaborate to Remove Shares Available to Short" I rushed it but let's see the response.
Have a great weekend!
I just called my Etrade broker and he said that
- as long as I have even $1 borrowed on margin, then all the shares on my account can be loaned out. If I cover my margin to $0, then Etrade will not loan any shares. You can have a margin account (to be clear, not a problem), just be borrowing $0. Then everyday they will adjust their loan shares available.
- He never heard of putting in a sell order of shares (also took awhile to explain) at a high price. He had to go ask someone else. He came back and said, that is irrelevant, doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you have $0 on margin.
- He had no idea if this is Etrade policy only or if other industry brokers have the same practice.
On posting this to yahoo mb, OK I'll post first and have you add on to that discussion.
Tzor: Do you know or can confirm that if someone has a margin account and puts in a sell order at say $70/sh, would that remove the shares from the available to short pool, or if contacting your brokerage is an additional needed step? Or possibly all of this is dependent on the policies of each individual brokerage house?
Short cover calls makes sense as a term but for us who don't short, that means shorts get a notice that they need to cover from their broker (leading to a short squeeze), like a margin call where more of us are familiar with but in the reverse direction.
Dok: I would assume shorts get 3 days to cover, not 1 day, basing that on other trades get 3 days to fund at least on Etrade. Timing exercise: So if we put in an order to sell our shares today (to remove them from shares available to be lent out to shorts), then that reduced short shares available would be recognized at end of day today. This Tuesday, shorts get a notice from their broker that they get 3 days to cover, which means by Friday.
Anyway, I did my part already, today.