NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[meirluc]

Senti, In light of the superior survival capacity of the last 108 patients, the following statement in the 2018 JTM article seems quite puzzling:

Analysis of patient survival relative to year of enrollment did not reveal a trend over time, nor meaningful differences between years

That flies in the face of logic because by March 2017, I estimated from the curve in figure 1, that the median stay on trial of the last 108 patients was already around 22 months but 62 of the 108 (57.4%) were still alive.

That should have caught the attention of the authors especially since the mOS of the entire trial was calculated to be 23.1 months and between March 2017 and the time that the JTM article was published (late may 2018), the low attrition rate in that last cohort of patients became even much lower. In fact, of 62 of the last 108 who were still alive during march 2017, at least 42 became post 36 months survivors. Were the authors before they finished the publication, completely unaware of the post 30 months survival capacity of that last group of patients?

Furthermore, it is rather baffling that the group of 41 patients who were enrolled just before the spectacular last group of 108 patients, did so poorly. During March 2017, 33 of that group of 41 patients had died and only 7 were alive and on trial for 30-36 months. Was the TFF system initiated as an improved DC harvest, only employed for the last 108 patients whose survival capacity was therefore greatly improved? If that is correct, can that statement that I quoted from the JTM publication be justified?

I think that the JTM pub statement cannot be justified if not all the cohorts had been subject to basically the identical treatment. In fact, that last group of patients has always been puzzling.
1. We end up with exactly the planned number (232) of Treatment patients.
2. and 17 fewer Controls (99).
3. We also have an apparently initially overlooked survival capacity of the last 108 patients (2018 JTM pub) which may have been due to:
A. A greater proportion of Treatment patients vis a vis Controls?
B. A more frequent employment of the TFF system?
C. A more frequent use of ALA assisted surgery?
D. All or some of the above?
E. None of the above, just pure luck?