Cherry Tree:
As my previous posts wrt to Kevin Duffy's departure have suggested, the simplest explanation is that the promise of NWBO's technology and the blinded data that he originally saw somehow fell short and he was disappointed enough to seek another employment opportunity. Indeed, COVID and the ensuing economic catastrophy only added to the risks associated with a developmental no-commercial product virtual start-up.
What NWBO offered was a paradigm changing product platform that would revolutionize the solid tumor world and perhaps the fundamental manner by which medical science would treat all disease. Truly a grand vision he undoubtedly originally embraced but began to have serious mis-givings about during the course of his work. To be sure, the 69 authors or so did not have a similar perspective because they were not employed by or in the company. He may have been closer to what was going on than the SAB because of his "insider" status. He found something that must have turned him off. At the moment we do not know what it is.
We know that he made contributions to the SAP. In order to do so, in his due diligence in the course of his job with NWBO in order to make important contributions in the drafting of the SAP, he almost certainly came across a lot of data and information not available to him from the outside. Something fell short and he elected to bail. This does not necessarily mean that the trial was a failure and the telephone book sized SAP a last ditch attempt to save an otherwise tottering trial. However during the course of his work with NWBO, he increasingly found things were not as splendid as he thought.
Of course, Dr. Duffy may have been a plant, with or without LP's knowledge, to do DD first hand on behalf of Merck which company was and is in the process of expanding its oncology business and looking at promising prospects. But I rather doubt that Merck (and NWBO) would engage in a "employee based stratagem" to somehow mask the reality of DD and then possibly resulting in a partnership or even eventual buy-out. It's possible, but in my gut I just don't buy it. Too complicated and the secret would be out anyway with his return or at least there would be a lot of speculation about it.. I just don't buy it.
I think that Dr. Duffy has been around the block a few times at his age and experience. He has an MBA in addition to his PhD. We know he was well thought of by his former and now once again current employer. They took him back despite his "disloyalty". I doubt very much that Dr. Duffy would leave Merck for NWBO and not negotiate a lot of "get rich" options. Not to do so would be just plain crazy.. You jump to a developmental virtual start up because you strongly believe in its product platform and you can become very wealthy upon success. You don't stay 6 or 7 months and then go back to your old company for an offer that could not be refused. That sounds like a fake cover story to me. What probably happened was that Duffy realized with what he came to know, that riches, if ever, were certainly not around the corner. With COVID and the impending economic difficulties, in addition to the less than splendid NWBO prospects, Duffy viewed his return to Merck as a "safe harbor" employment especially if getting rich prospects at NWBO were now significantly diminished.
I would bet that if TLD is not announced at the ASM or shortly thereafter, the foregoing Duffy departure scenario may, indeed, ring true. In fact, DI's latest information that timelines are not within NWBO's control is a hint that they are kicking the TLD can further down the road and this gives more support to the foregoing scenario.
I think the primary question of:
What is the f**king TLD.....is the only relevant question. All the other questions hinge on TLD. Without it and undeniable results as Les has said in justification of the time it is taking to get to the point of unblinding such questions are just rock n' roll. JMHO.
