Absolutely spot on!
The hiring of Dr. Duffy is just huge. There is no doubt about it. It shows that BP is watching. If Dr. Duffy, who was a mid-level executive at Merck knows enough to be compelled to join NWBO, others, at all levels in all BPs know about DC VAX and its potential. Dr. Duffy broke ranks. His joining NWBO can be interpreted as a validation of big P interest in DC VAX. Dr. Duffy is not just a scientific/research type with a focus upon pharmacological oncology and experience with immunological approaches but also a business type as evidenced by his MBA/experience.
People like Dr. Duffy don't jump blindly into something wrt which they have not done extensive due diligence. There is no doubt that he talked to a lot of people including key individuals at NWBO. He has the scientific background to understand this stuff backwards and forwards as well as 10,000 ways from Sunday. He is definitely not going to bet his career on a wing and a prayer. That is for sure. Is he a super star? That is not the right question and it is irrelevant. Dr. Duffy is a very experienced and smart guy with the necessary core competencies with big P background. An excellent fit for both Dr. Duffy and NWBO.
Just a clear signal about what we can expect. You don't make these hires unless you are pretty sure about what is gonna happen. LP is way ahead of the game and with her phalanx of consultants, advisors, et al she pretty well knows the outcome. The length of this trial and the data collected is heavy on actuals and extrapolation to 5 years et al is much more predictively accurate as opposed to therapies like Optune. The data will likely be undeniable. Dr. Duffy is going to a company where he has concluded from what he already knew and found out through extensive DD that the odds of success are high. An asymmetric calculated risk as SOS might say. JMHO.
