NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[jondoeuk]

Merck are working with Moderna http://investors.merck.com/news/press-release-details/2016/Merck-and-Moderna-Announce-Strategic-Collaboration-to-Advance-Novel-mRNA-Based-Personalized-Cancer-Vaccines-with-KEYTRUDA-pembrolizumab-for-the-Treatment-of-Multiple-Types-of-Cancer/default.aspx

As for BMY then I assume they might follow suit. Gritstone have created a heterologous prime-boost regime. With these types of vaccine you administer the same (neo)antigens differently. They will prime with a chimpanzee adenoviral vector and then boost using synthetic self replicating RNA. This has been shown to induce greater numbers of antigen specific T-cells and increases the quality of response by involving multiple subsets and cytokine profiles. With anti-CTLA4 in preclinical studies you get extremely high and sustained T-cell responses. This compares to T-cell numbers observed in successful ACT (adoptive cell transfer) http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/78/13_Supplement/724

A trial testing this with Yervoy and Opdivo will open in the next few months https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180719005194/en/Bristol-Myers-Squibb-Gritstone-Oncology-Announce-Clinical-Research