NW Bio To Discuss Projected Schedule For Data Lock, Unblinding and Top Line Data From Its Phase 3 Clinical Trial At Annual Shareholder Meeting

BETHESDA, Md., April 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTCQB: NWBO) ("NW Bio"), a biotechnology company developing DCVax® personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, today announced that its CEO, Linda Powers, will discuss the projected schedule for reaching data lock, unblinding and reporting of top line data from its 331-patient Phase 3 trial of DCVax®-L for Glioblastoma brain cancer at the Company's 2019 Annual Meeting.  The Meeting is being held virtually due to the current public health crisis. 

The Company has been working since last year with the contract research organization (CRO) that managed the trial and numerous independent service companies to make the final in-person monitoring visits to all the clinical trial sites (hospitals) across the US and Europe, and to finish collecting and confirming the Phase 3 trial data and resolving queries.

Despite nearly two months (during March and April to date) in which hospital trial sites stopped allowing in-person data monitoring visits and became too overwhelmed to continue helping with data confirmation, the Company's data collection and confirmation process has continued moving forward in part through workarounds.

The data collection process is including certain epigenetic and genetic information that is recognized as important in Glioblastoma, such as MGMT methylation status.  As part of this process, the Company has also identified a method that can potentially enable an additional important genetic factor -- IDH mutation status -- to be analyzed using bio samples collected years ago during the trial, and to be analyzed in the same timeframe as the data lock.  This IDH mutation factor was unknown when the Company's trial began and through much of the trial period, but has become recognized as very important in recent years. 

After factoring in the March and April shutdowns, and the additional genetic analysis, the Company believes it can reach data lock by approximately the end of May. 

Upon reaching data lock, the data will be unblinded to the independent statisticians (i.e., the statisticians will be given access to the trial database containing all of the raw data points).  The Company will not yet become unblinded at this time. 

The independent statisticians will then use the raw data to calculate the relevant measures, such as median survival times and survival percentages at various time points.  The statisticians will also calculate various statistical measures and prepare graphs and tables.  This work is anticipated to take several weeks.  The Company will become unblinded when it receives these results from the statisticians.

The Company will then discuss the information from the statisticians with its expert advisors, including its Scientific Advisory Board and the Steering Committee of the Phase 3 trial.  Any questions or comments raised by the experts will be addressed and the results will be prepared for public announcement. 

Based on these expectations, and taking account of the two months lost in March and April, the current estimate of public disclosure of top line data would range from the end of June to early July.

About Northwest Biotherapeutics

Northwest Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing personalized immunotherapy products designed to treat cancers more effectively than current treatments, without toxicities of the kind associated with chemotherapies, and on a cost-effective basis, in both the North America and Europe.  The Company has a broad platform technology for DCVax® dendritic cell-based vaccines.  The Company's lead program is a 331-patient Phase III trial of DCVax®-L for newly diagnosed Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).  GBM is the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer, and is an "orphan disease."  The Company is also pursuing development of DCVax®-Direct for inoperable solid tumor cancers.  It has completed a 40-patient Phase I trial, and is preparing for Phase II trials.  The Company previously conducted a Phase I/II trial with DCVax-L for advanced ovarian cancer together with the University of Pennsylvania. 

Disclaimer                 

Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements concerning future treatment of patients using DCVax and future clinical trials, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Words such as "expect," "believe," "intend," "design," "plan," "continue," "may," "will," "anticipate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.  We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.  Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement.  Specifically, there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, such as risks related to the Company's ability to enroll patients in its clinical trials and complete the trials on a timely basis, uncertainties about the clinical trials process, uncertainties about the timely performance of third parties, risks related to whether the Company's products will demonstrate safety and efficacy, risks related to the Company's ongoing ability to raise additional capital, and other risks included in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") filings.  Additional information on the foregoing risk factors and other factors, including Risk Factors, which could affect the Company's results, is included in its SEC filings.  Finally, there may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the Company's SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement.  The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or developments, except as required by securities laws.

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SOURCE Northwest Biotherapeutics