Replies to post #521397 on NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[jondoeuk]

They will define the range of antigens, granted it is more than the current technology otherwise allows. Most likely however they will pre-manufacture a range of the most common types and if you need something slightly different but still within the 20 or so antigens they have pre-selected, they will make it.

For each patient, they start with tissue samples (tumour and blood), undertake next-generation sequencing of tumour to normal DNA and RNA, before using a proprietary bioinformatics algorithm to predict and select neoantigens. Now, they encode up to 34 neoantigens instead of 20 like they use to.

It’s a nice gimmick and it will likely work for Melanoma, but melanoma has had so much immunotherapy success already because it is not all that unique in every person.

Each cancer is unique. As for the vaccine, it is personalised for every single patient.

It is still the early stages

KEYNOTE-942 (n=157) is a randomised PhII in melanoma. KEYNOTE-603 (n=143) is a PhI in select indications.