NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[biosectinvestor]

The patent referenced in the PR for more potent DC's also does not say anything about Poly-ICLC or TLR's or Hiltonol. It's not referenced. In other words, it does not use it in any formula to "mature" DC's or create the vaccine. It is used as a separate adjuvant, with an IM injection. That's the research at UCLA. UCLA doesn't use it as a "maturation agent" either. It's the same version of DCVax-L as always. That patent is about deriving DC's, not adding new drugs to the "formula". I don't doubt the company uses this process, but it's not about modifying the DC's in a profoundly new way to create a new drug. It's about deriving the same DC's in a better way, in the same way that Flaskworks might derive a more potent and more intense vaccine because the process is more precise.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nw-bio-receives-us-patent-on-broad-processes-for-producing-more-potent-dendritic-cells-198760831.html

The standard methods used to produce dendritic cells today involve several key steps, which start with precursors of dendritic cells (called "monocytes") obtained through a blood draw, then develop the precursors into immature dendritic cells, and finally develop these cells into mature and activated dendritic cells. The standard methods cause some premature activation of the precursors before they become immature dendritic cells, and this premature activation orients the cells toward becoming an undesired cell type rather than dendritic cells. This has to be stopped and overcome by treating the cells with a biochemical factor known as IL-4. This redirection results in conflicting signals, and dendritic cells that are somewhat "confused."

In contrast, the patented NW Bio processes closely track the natural processes that occur in a healthy person's immune system. NW Bio's methods avoid the premature activation of the precursors (monocytes), and develop pure immature dendritic cells -- avoiding the conflicting and confusing signals, and the need to override those signals with IL-4.

Building upon the pure immature dendritic cells, NW Bio's patented methods develop mature and activated dendritic cells that are far more potent than dendritic cells produced in the standard way. For example, NW Bio's dendritic cells produce as much as 10X or more the amount of signaling compounds which are key to mobilizing other active agents of the immune system, such as T cells (which infiltrate and attack tumors) and B cells (which produce antibodies).

NW Bio is already using these next generation methods for producing more potent dendritic cells in its production of DCVax-Direct. The same patented methods for activating dendritic cells were also used in the pre-clinical animal studies with DCVax-Direct. In those studies, injection of these potent dendritic cells into some of the tumors in each of the animals resulted in complete clearance of all tumors (both the tumors injected with DCVax-Direct and the tumors not injected) in 80-100% of the animals in the various studies, indicating a system-wide immune response.