NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[seekinganswers]

100% total lies and gibberish. Also DCVax-L is not the same as ATLDC. NWBO is not a sponsor of the UCLA combo trials and has no shared benefit. UCLA combo trials are also still in very early stages. A phase 3 trial would be required, which would take at least 5 years and 300 or more patients to render statistical relevant data.

Facts:
While both UCLA's ATL-DC (autologous tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cell vaccine) and DCVax-L (autologous tumor lysate-loaded dendritic cell vaccine) employ fundamentally similar approaches—using a patient's own dendritic cells loaded with tumor lysate to stimulate an immune response against glioblastoma—they are not identical.
Key differences include:Development and Branding: ATL-DC refers to the vaccine platform developed and tested in UCLA-led trials (e.g., the Phase II study NCT01204684 by Dr. Linda Liau and colleagues). DCVax-L is the proprietary name for a similar vaccine developed by Northwest Biotherapeutics, with Dr. Liau as a key collaborator and lead investigator in its Phase III trial (NCT00045968).
Adjuvant Use: In the UCLA Phase II study, ATL-DC was combined with the TLR agonist poly-ICLC (or resiquimod) as an immune-boosting adjuvant, which polarized interferon responses and contributed to improved outcomes (median OS of 52.5 months in the poly-ICLC arm across 9 patients with mixed newly diagnosed and recurrent high-grade gliomas). DCVax-L in its Phase III trial did not incorporate poly-ICLC or a similar adjuvant, focusing solely on the dendritic cell vaccine added to standard-of-care temozolomide, yielding a median OS of 19.3 months from randomization in newly diagnosed GBM patients.
Trial Contexts and Outcomes: The ATL-DC + poly-ICLC combination showed promising results in smaller cohorts, with superior survival compared to vaccine alone (e.g., 47% 3-year survival in combined treatment vs. 20% without adjuvant in related analyses). DCVax-L's larger trial extended survival modestly (13% 5-year survival vs. 5.7% historical), but without the adjuvant enhancement seen in UCLA's ATL-DC protocols. The ongoing Phase I trial (NCT04201873) specifically uses ATL-DC + poly-ICLC with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), further differentiating it from DCVax-L's standalone approach.

These variations in adjuvants and trial designs mean the methods, while overlapping in core technology, differ in execution and potential efficacy. Ongoing research continues to refine these immunotherapies.