When the Conservative MP, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, raised the question, he was referring to personalized vaccines in general—not specifically Northwest Biotherapeutics. It’s unclear whether he was even aware of the company by name. Afterward, it’s likely that Dr. Zubir Ahmed followed up with the MHRA to get an update on the situation.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what new personalised treatments for glioblastoma are being assessed.
Since the matter is with the MHRA, their response carries weight. If there were significant concerns about approving DCVax-L, their wording likely would have been more cautious—something more generic, without explicitly mentioning Northwest Biotherapeutics. Also, there wouldn’t have been a need to reference the company directly, since the original question wasn’t about them specifically.
Answered on 18 March 2026 The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for assessing new medicines to ensure they meet the required standards of quality, safety, and efficacy before they can be authorised for use in the United Kingdom. The MHRA conducts a rigorous, evidence-based scientific review of all applications for marketing authorisation and assesses them against statutory timelines. Northwest Biotherapeutics has submitted a marketing authorisation application to the MHRA for DCVax®-L, an immunotherapy for glioblastoma. The MHRA cannot comment on individual applications while they are under assessment but is committed to enabling safe and effective new treatments to reach patients as quickly as possible once the necessary standards are met.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the National Health Service on whether all new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of clinical and cost effectiveness. NICE aims wherever possible to issue recommendations on new medicines close to the time of licensing. NICE is in discussions with the manufacturer of DCVax-L, Northwest Biotherapeutics, about a potential appraisal subject to licensing.
In my view, this points in a positive direction. I’m not entirely sure about the timing or extent of any communication between NICE and Northwest Biotherapeutics—if it did happen, updates can take time to surface. I could be wrong, but I feel reasonably confident about how the approval process is progressing.
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