NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[longfellow95]

The hiring of Dr. Duffy is just huge.

Is it?
I suggest that statement could do with at least a bit of qualification.
In the short term, it appears to have been the catalyst for a 30% rise in the share price.
So that's a positive, not to be sniffed at.
And certainly didn't do Bigger any harm.

It arrested the share price depression that followed the underwhelming ASCO presentation.
In fact, it's the only news since ASCO. It was the first PR in 3 months since the ASCO one.

Certainly the appointment was heralded very positively in the PR. But so have previous ones.

I think we will need to see an element of 'proof of the pudding is in the eating' here.

Why this appointment now? That's the first question for me.
One assumes that a VP appointment adds significantly to the wage bill, at a time when the war chest is probably now of matchbox proportions. The market (not me necessarily) wants to see bang for the buck in a short timeframe. So tangible benefits will need to be seen within 6 months, otherwise the enthusiasm surrounding the appointment begins to ebb away.

What's his brief?
Is the job title an accurate summation of the brief?
'Medical Affairs' is a nebulous term that could mean anything, and doesn't really mean anything specific.
But 'External Collaborations' has much more specificity. Does that title mean that we will see a significant 'collaboration'?
If so, in what timeframe?
I think just the use of the term does signify some sort of new company intent in that direction. What could it portend?
Well maybe taking Direct off the back burner, and on to an active development phase.
That would fit, given his previous stated role in relation to Keytruda.
And Doc Bosch will have his work cut out on L anyway, given that the BLA will make the SAP look like a pamphlet.

What's his motive for leaving Merck and joining a tiny Bio?
Anybody's guess.
He might just be pee'd off with corporate culture. He might think that Keytruda's best days are a thing of the present, but not the future. All sorts of motivations which we can only guess at.

Absolute cynics will suggest that using the term 'external collaborations' is just a way of stringing along shareholders for a further period.

So I do think this is a significant appointment, which maybe does signal company intent in terms of future collaboration.
But only time will tell what that intent might lead to.

So I wouldn't call it 'huge'.
Not just yet anyway.

(I think next they should head hunt a BMY exec, for the job of 'Joint VP of Medical Affairs and Alternative External Collaborations' to really set tongues wagging.)