Replies to post #521251 on NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[CherryTree1]

This is interesting and seems challenging:

Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) opted to jointly develop and potentially sell a personalized mRNA vaccine with Moderna Inc

If I understand how the mRNA covid vaccines work the target a small number of specific proteins (e.g. covid spike protein) that don't tend to change or mutate as frequently.. With what we have learned with DCVAX is that there could be 100's of target proteins and the cancer does tend to mutate at a fairly rapid pace . . . so this seems like they would need to expand the mRNA target proteins considerably or be left with a vaccine that appears to work initially but the the cancer reemerges from the mutations that are not covered by the vaccine. That is the beauty of leveraging the dendritic cells. They cover pretty much all the cancer unique proteins enabling our immune systems to target all of them.
Thanks my 2 cents.

[iwasadiver]

I believe it’s quite possible Merck was recently told to “go f*** yourself” by LP and are now far behind. Why go through the difficult process of identifying numerous antigen proteins, create a specific sequence of mRNA for each, and then hope by injecting it the patient’s own DCs will find it, replicate the proteins, and present them on their cell surface? We’ve already seen failed vaccines using selective antigens. Sounds desperate.

Now, what if someone like Roche partners with NWBO and Regeneron (TLR agonist) for the “Keep It Simple Stupid” version for the win? I like this scenario frankly; although it’s possible Merck may want to JV with NWBO for the Dendritic Cells as the carrier for the mRNA. But I don’t think so

[JohnnyGalt]

I read this as good news for NWBO.

It seems to me this announcement is a tacit admission that neither Merck or Moderna have anything going in this area and are far away from any breakthrough.

[Know-Fear]

You’ve already gotten a few good replies to your post. My two cents I think “personalized ” is a bit of a stretch. Perhaps they will have different versions of the mRNA vaccine depending on the patient. But, as a MRK shareholder this is one of the avenues I expect them to explore (and hope for success) as they exhaust all relatively “off the shelf“ solutions before pursuing autologous personalized solution. IMO there is likely a place for both solutions depending on the cancer targeted.