Replies to post #279784 on NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[sentiment_stocks]

you only have to look at 2 and 3yr blended survival stats in our trial to know that L will not afford a very significant survival benefit to the majority of unmeth patients.

True, but if it turns out that the blinded set of unmeth patients that made it to 36 months were all treatment, that would bring that approx. 14.6% (something like that) to more like 20%. And then as you mention, one has to wonder if those patients would have fared without undergoing the chemo that doesn't help them (and may harm them) for 6 months.

[CogDiss 1188X]

Agree LF, “unique” wasn’t the best choice to describe berubicin, since TMZ/tomozolomide made the blood-brain barrier crossing claim roughly 2 decades ago.

Berubicin is apparently the only anthracyline that has the same BBB-crossing ability, so it is “unique” among the anthracyclines, as they like to insist as long as TMZ isn’t within earshot.

I assume this non-unique uniqueness is kind of a big deal for the following 3 reasons: 1) oncologists like their anthracyclines, so it may allow them to use an anthracycline against GBM. Not big on our agenda but onc’s call the plays.

More importantly 2) Berubicin works by a different mechanism than TMZ, which should allow it to target the non-methylated tumors that are resistant to TMZ, as a first line therapy, and as a second line therapy after TMZ failure against methylated tumors.

And last but not least, 3) the design feature that enables berubicin to cross the BBB also makes it “impervious” to two of the key multidrug resistance mechanisms that typically foil chemotherapy (Prp1 and Mdr1, two protein pumps that get rid of toxins from cells). This is actually kind of neat and atypical for a chemotherapy drug, though of course it doesn’t guarantee success against cancer. Cancer, like our intelligence agencies, has six ways from Sunday at getting back at you, in the immortal words of Chuck Schumer.

The phase 1 trial results were promising for such an early trial. They got one complete response that lasted 13 years and extended progression free survival by some measure, for what that’s worth. Not bad for a phase 1. Also, no signs of cardiotoxicity, which is a key issue with the anthracyclines generally. Myelosuppression was the big adverse effect, which was “manageable.” Buyer beware on that description.

So I’d say a better profile that my initial impression but as you said, there is still a mountain to climb, especially in GBM.


Here is an oldish article describing some of this in more detail. It seems they’ve had issues pushing this drug forward in a timely manner. Perhaps few are interested in chemotherapy drugs these days.

http://ddn-news.com/news?newsarticle=12361