NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[dstock07734]

Thanks for the reply.

I really love the conclusion from the bulk-RNA seq analysis. Can you believe it? Some of the DCVax-L haters are among the researchers who drew the conclusion.

However, we did not confirm a survival benefit to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in recurrent glioblastoma. Our new data suggests some patients may exhibit innate resistance to pre-surgical ICI and require other concomitant therapies to sensitize effectively.

Glioblastoma is immunologically “cold” and resistant to single-agent immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Our previous study of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in surgically-accessible recurrent glioblastoma identified a molecular signature of response to ICI and suggested that neoadjuvant pembrolizumab may improve survival. To increase the power of this observation, we performed bulk-RNA seq on resected tumor tissue in an additional 25 patients with surgically-accessible recurrent glioblastoma. Neoadjuvant pembrolizumab was associated with suppression of cell cycle/cancer proliferation genes and upregulation of T-cell/interferon-related gene expression. This signature was unique to patients treated with neoadjuvant pembrolizumab and was an independent risk factor for survival. Our results demonstrate a clear pharmacodynamic effect of anti-PD1 therapy in glioblastoma and identify pathways that may mediate resistance. However, we did not confirm a survival benefit to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in recurrent glioblastoma. Our new data suggests some patients may exhibit innate resistance to pre-surgical ICI and require other concomitant therapies to sensitize effectively.

McFaline-Figueroa JR, Sun L, Qiao Y, Youssef GC, Li G, Kim J, Lee E, Nayak L, Chukwueke U, Beroukhim R, Batchelor T, Chiocca EA, Doherty L, Stefanik J, Partridge K, Spearman A, Myers A, Westergaard C, Russ A, Lavallee M, Smokovich A, LaForest-Roys C, Fox Garcia R, McCluskey C, Bi WL, Arnaout O, Peruzzi P, Cosgrove GR, Ligon KL, Arrillaga-Romany I, Clarke JL, Reardon DA, Cloughesy TF, Prins RM, Wen PY

I am waiting for my Xmas bonus check now.