NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[exwannabe]

2] Provenge - my mistake; the DCVax family is not the first "therapeutic vaccination" but is the second.

Nope. APCEDEN, an ATL-DC is also already approved. So IF DC-L gets approved it might be the third DC based approval.

1] I do not think the the use of BCG in the treatment in non-disseminated bladder cancer really fits the description of a specific immune system activation. Its mode of action has not (as far as I am aware) been elucidated - it has certainly not been found to stimulate the immune system to specifically attack the cancerous cells - and appears to be the result of a generalised inflammatory response of the superficial bladder which as a side effect destroys some of the cancerous cells.

You may very well be correct here. But when AF said the exact same thing about Direct this board mocked it.

3] Imlygic: As far as I'm aware, the modified oncolytic herpes virus that is used attacks only the melanoma cells in the immediate vicinity of the injection and any immune response is localised, not having any effect on distant metastases. This is possibly because the oncolytic virus does not spread far from the site of injection due to the response by the host's immunological system. I would hesitate to call this any form of immunisation as the damage to the melanoma cells appears not to be due to immune system activation as distant sites of malignant melanoma cells are not attacked.

The purported systemic MOA does not require the virus to spread. It (purportedly) causes a localized release of antigens and GM-CSF activates DCs. Maybe true, maybe not.