Replies to post #813759 on NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[Rising_Sun]

Regrettably, the conspiracy theory I've been entertaining below could turn out to be one of the plausible explanations for what's happening:

The MHRA (the UK’s drug watchdog) is totally in bed with Big Pharma—probably swapping staff and favors left and right.
The people reviewing DCVax-L don’t seem to care.
I bet they’re not even putting in a full day’s work to get this life-saving cancer vaccine approved fast. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense on such delays.
Meanwhile, brain-cancer patients are dying.

Picture this: you work at the MHRA and make £100,000 a year.
Some shady guy connected to a giant drug company slides you £1 million in secret to “take it easy” and slow the review by just 20%.
You’ve got rent, kids, and Christmas presents to buy—and this drug doesn’t affect anyone you know.
What do you say?
DCVax-L could wreck billions in profits for the big boys who sell pricey, barely-better cancer drugs.
So they whisper in ears, pay “consultants,” and suddenly the little guy’s miracle treatment gets stuck in red tape forever.

Without hard proof of corruption, I can’t explain these endless, inexplicable delays any other way.
The pattern fits too neatly: revolutionary therapies from small biotechs get buried in bureaucracy, while Big Pharma’s me-too drugs sail through.
Coincidence? Or conspiracy? You decide.

Oh, yeah. FU MHRA. My curse on everyone dragging feet on DCVax approval.

[Steady_T]

I don't think you understand how MHRA funding works. The application fee is paid upfront. There is no way for a BP to withhold funding other than not applying for a drug approval.

The same with the FDA. True that both agencies receive a lot of their revenues from BP, but those revenues are in the form of application fees paid up front. If an application is withdrawn before "substantial work is done" the FDA may refund some portion of the filing fee at its sole discretion. The MHRA has a similar policy for refunds if the application is withdrawn before a panel is appointed.

The filing fee is not refunded if the drug in not approved.

There is no real incentive for the MHRA or the FDA to approve based on fees paid by BP.

[HappyLibrarian]

Happy, your response reminded me that the MHRA's funding is provided for the most part by pharmaceutical companies, so if I put on my cynical (realist) hat, it's a possibility that one or more of the BPs could imply it may withhold or delay funding based on approval.

I could imply that I’ll withhold the funding I give the government in taxes every April and we’ll see how that works out. I could try withholding the funding I give the DMV to renew my driver’s license and see how things go.

Unless you can show us differently, Big Pharma is almost certainly not making charitable donations to fund MHRA but paying fees for specific services that they need to do business in the UK. It’s not really a voluntary contribution but more like a tax.