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Share your cancer treatment and care experience and help shape future services

• Monday, 21 May 2012 19:57

The Government has said that it wants every person with Cancer to have as good an experience of treatment and care as possible.

They want every patient to experience what they call ‘integrated care’ or ‘joined up care’. This means a seamless, well co-ordinated service, across GP, hospital, and social services.

In practical terms, it can mean things like your GP knowing what stage of treatment you are at, always seeing the same hospital doctor or specialist nurse, appointments and test results being provided quickly, and not having to keep explaining the same things to different people.

The Cancer Campaigning Group is a coalition of around 50 charities who are campaigning for better services for people with cancer and their families. We are conducting a project looking at what ‘integrated care’ means to people living with cancer and their carers.

In particular, we want to understand what improvements you think should be made to make sure that your treatment and care is joined up.

We are asking people living with cancer, or their carers, to fill in this survey of nine questions to help us understand what matters most to you. By filling in this questionnaire, you will help us to make sure that the voices of people living with cancer and their carers are heard as the Government works to make integrated care a reality.

Although the questionnaire is anonymised, we would be grateful if you could fill in a few questions about you/the person you care for. This will help us understand if there are differences in people’s experiences based on gender, ethnicity, age and the type of cancer they are affected by.

To take part CLICK HERE

Thank you for your time. The survey will be open until Friday 25 May. The survey findings will be posted on www.cancercampaigninggroup.org.uk in the summer.

Location of proton beam facilities announced

• Monday, 21 May 2012 19:22

The NHS will invest up to £250 million in the new facilities, which will benefit around 1,500 patients a year.

Based at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust Hospital in Manchester and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, they will reach full capacity by 2017.

Proton beam therapy, a type of Radiotherapy, uses a precision high-energy beam of particles to destroy Cancer cells.

The treatment is particularly suitable for complex childhood cancers, increasing success rates and reducing side-effects.

It is already available on the NHS for suitable patients, but involves travel abroad.

Until the new facilities are built, the NHS will continue to fund patients in need of proton beam therapy to go either to Switzerland or the USA for treatment.

According to the Department of Health, by 2014/15 the NHS will be spending £30 million per year sending up to 400 patients overseas.

"Developing a national proton beam therapy service is vital to ensuring our cancer facilities are world class. We have always said that it is patient outcomes which matter, and to get the best for patients we must always be looking to push the boundaries," said Lansley.

Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, Professor Peter Johnson, warmly welcomed the news.

"Proton beam therapy has important benefits over conventional radiotherapy for patients with several types of cancer, such as brain tumours in children. This announcement will mean that patients can access the best treatments for them without having to travel abroad, and that the UK is able to offer the most up to date treatments," he said

Professor Johnson pointed to the charity's campaign for renewed focus on UK radiotherapy services.

"We want to see improvements to radiotherapy services across the UK, to match the best in the world, and ensure no-one misses out on cutting-edge treatment.

"Today's announcement shows that progress is being made towards achieving that goal."

Northwest Bio Partners With King's College Hospital and King's College London for Programs in Europe

• Sunday, 15 April 2012 19:19
• Last Updated ( Sunday, 15 April 2012 19:22 )

Programs Include Both Clinical Trial and Compassionate Use

BETHESDA, Md., April 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics (OTC Bulletin Board: NWBO) (NW Bio)  announced today that it is partnering with King's Health Partners to both manufacture and deliver a new treatment for patients with brain Cancer as part of its ongoing 240-patient clinical trial for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most lethal form of brain cancer. Specialists at King's College London will manufacture NW Bio's immune therapy treatment, DCVax®, for the clinical trial which will take place and involve brain cancer patients at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Both institutions are part of King's Health Partners, a pioneering collaboration which brings together one of the world's leading research-led universities with three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts to reduce the time it takes for research discoveries to become routine clinical practice.

The collaboration with King's College Hospital includes two important dimensions. One such dimension is enabling the Hospital to join NW Bio's ongoing, 240-patient randomized, controlled clinical trial for GBM brain cancer, which is currently under way at more than 30 clinical trial sites across the U.S.  A second important dimension involves treatment of patients on a compassionate use basis, for those who do not fully meet the criteria to enroll on the clinical trial, but may benefit from the treatment.  This compassionate use dimension will enable treatment of such patients to proceed while the clinical trial is ongoing.

The collaboration with King's College London involves support from the College for the manufacturing of NW Bio's DCVax® immune therapy.  King's has a specialized "cGMP" (clean room) facility for processing of cell therapy products, and specialized scientific staff already experienced in working with such cell products.  Under the collaboration, King's will make available its cGMP facility and experienced personnel to support the production of NW Bio's DCVax® products.  The necessary regulatory permits are already in place for the production of DCVax® products at the facility, and Cognate BioServices, Inc., NW Bio's contract manufacturer, is conducting technology transfer and training in the proprietary DCVax® production processes.  Cognate will manage and oversee the processing at King's (in addition to the production at Fraunhofer in Germany) on an ongoing basis, to ensure consistency and coordination. 

This collaboration with the College brings important additional manufacturing capacity and flexibility for NW Bio's DCVax® products, without the need for any capital investment by NW Bio. Overall, this partnering with King's College Hospital and King's College London, as part of King's Health Partners, provides another solid foundation for NW Bio's programs in Europe, in parallel with NW Bio's partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany that was announced last year.  

 "We are pleased to be leading the way in bringing these novel immune therapies to patients in the UK," commented Dr. Keyoumars Ashkan, Consultant (i.e., Specialist) Neurosurgeon, Reader (Associate Professor) in Neurosurgery and Lead for Neuro-Oncology at King's College Hospital. "Brain cancers are some of the most lethal cancers, and there is a great need for new and better treatments.  The positive data from the Phase I clinical trials in the U.S. were very encouraging in delaying disease progression and extending survival times, without significant toxic side effects.  We are hopeful that similar results will be seen in the large, randomized clinical trial which we are now helping to bring to the UK."

Farzin Farzaneh, Professor of Molecular Medicine and head of cGMP cell product manufacturing at King's College London, said: "At King's, we are excited to be undertaking the manufacturing for the DCVax® immune therapies in the UK. Such immune therapies represent an exciting new class of products, and we are pleased to apply our expertise and facilities for cell therapy to help bring DCVax® immune therapies to the UK and Europe."  

"We are excited about partnering with such prestigious institutions as King's College London and King's College Hospital," commented Linda Powers, CEO of NW Bio.  "This partnership can help accelerate our brain cancer clinical trials, and also help extend lives through compassionate use treatments for other patients while the trials are ongoing.  This partnership also expands our manufacturing capacity and flexibility in a highly cost effective way – a great arrangement both for patients and for our programs." 

About King's Health Partners

King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, King's College Hospital, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals, and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

King's Health Partners is one of only five AHSCs in the UK and brings together an unrivalled range and depth of clinical and research expertise, spanning both physical and mental health. Our combined strengths will drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity.  For further information, please visit the King's Health Partners website at www.kingshealthpartners.org.

About Northwest Biotherapeutics

Northwest Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing immunotherapy products to treat cancers more effectively than current treatments, without toxicities of the kind associated with chemotherapies, and on a cost-effective basis.  The Company is developing dendritic cell-based vaccines.  The Company's lead clinical trial is a 240-patient trial in newly diagnosed Glioblastoma multiforme ("GBM"), the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer.  The Company also previously received clearance from the FDA for a 612-patient Phase III trial in prostate cancer, and clearance from the FDA for Phase I trials in multiple other cancers.  The Company has also conducted a Phase I/II trial with DCVax® for recurrent metastatic ovarian cancer.   For further information about clinical sites and about the Company, please visit the Company's web site at www.nwbio.com.

Disclaimer

Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts, including statements concerning future treatment of patients with GBM using DCVax®-L and future clinical trials, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Words such as "expects," "believes," "intends," and similar expressions are intended to identify 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 the Company's ability to raise additional capital, risks related to the Company's ability to enroll patients in its clinical trials and complete the trials on a timely basis, the uncertainty of the clinical trials process, uncertainties about the timely performance of third parties, and whether the Company's products will demonstrate safety and efficacy.  Additional information on these and other factors, including Risk Factors which could affect the Company's results, are included in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission ("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.  You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.  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.   

SOURCE Northwest Biotherapeutics

IBTA E-NEWS APRIL 2012

• Sunday, 15 April 2012 19:09

Dear Friend

If you are having difficulty in reading this version please go to the Web version here.

Dental X-rays and meningiomas: The publication of the results of a study (freely available here) showing the possible connection between certain types of dental X-rays and meningiomas was bound to generate much media excitement. The major conclusion of the research was: "Exposure to some dental x-rays performed in the past, when radiation exposure was greater than in the current era, appears to be associated with an increased risk of Intracranial meningioma. As with all sources of artificial ionizing radiation, considered use of this modifiable risk factor may be of benefit to patients." Even the UK Economist magazine reported the study and their report found favour with at least one commercial dentistry website. A more detailed analysis appeared in a UK regional newspaper here and on further examination their article was sourced to a London commercial health analysis group called Bazian but no specific author of the commentary was identified.

CNS tumours and suicide and cardiovascular death: In a major study of more than six  million Swedes to examine the association between a Cancer diagnosis and the immediate risk of suicide, or death from cardiovascular causes during 1991-2006, researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied 13,447 people with CNS tumours. The researchers found a highly elevated risk of suicide during the first three months after a cancer diagnosis for all cancers but skin cancer; the risk elevation was strongest for cancers of the esophagus, liver or pancreas followed by lung cancer and CNS tumours.  

For deaths from cardiovascular causes, the researchers more closely examined the first week after cancer diagnosis, and they found that CNS tumour patients had the highest risk increase from cardiovascular death during the first week after diagnosis, compared to patients with other cancers. In this latter analysis, stroke was excluded from cardiovascular deaths given the concern of misclassifying CNS tumours as stroke and vice versa. These results have implications for clinical practice and supportive care of Brain Tumour patients. The study was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

DCVax and the UK: US-based Northwest Biotherapeutics announced last Thursday that it had entered into a partnership with Kings Health Partners, which includes Kings College Hospital, London, to both manufacture and distribute its DCVax immune therapy product to participants in its Phase II study for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients. The CEO of Northwest Biotherapeutics stated: "This partnership can help accelerate our brain cancer clinical trials, and also help extend lives through compassionate use treatments for other patients while the trials are ongoing. "

Brain Metastases and MRIs: Researchers at the University of Oxford (UK) have developed a contrast agent that sticks to a molecule called VCAM-1 that is present in large amounts on blood vessels associated with brain metastases, thus enabling very small tumours to be better detected in MRI scans.

Food for the brain: The UK Brain and Spine Foundation has produced a new information sheet which discusses good nutrition for the brain. While it does not present the information in the context of a brain that might be fighting a tumour, it highlights potentially useful foods that could be explored further.

New treatment approach: Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University (USA) have had good results in animal models from a new treatment approach for invasive brain tumours which involves the use of imipramine blue, followed by conventional doxorubicin Chemotherapy.

Celldex Rindopepimut trial: The Phase III Celldex Study of Rindopepimut/GM-CSF in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma (ACT IV) has now reached 112 centres, with most located in the USA but others are also located in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and Taiwan.

Estonian article wins award: An article published in the Estonian daily newspaper Öhtuleht about a child with a brain tumour has won a Best Cancer Reporter merit award for its author Silja Paavle, from Cancer World, published by the European School of Oncology. It can be viewed here.

Chinese research: Professor Harn Horyng-jyh (Taipei) has reported good results in laboratory research against GBM using z-butylidenephthalide, a natural compound extracted from the Chinese medicinal herb Angelica sinensis.

TMZ and MGMT: Chinese researchers from the People’s Republic of China have demonstrated that resveratrol, a natural polyphenol, is able to reverse TMZ ( Temozolomide) resistance of glioblastoma T98G cells which have relatively high MGMT activity.

Dell Inc and genomic calculations: The computer company Dell Inc will donate server capacity for a collaboration between the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Neuroblastoma and Meduloblastoma Translational Research Consortium (NMTRC) to undertake heavy-duty genomic calculations.

Brain tumour patient's dismissal case: The case of a Loudon (Virginia, USA) County Public Schools employee fired after taking approved medical leave for the treatment of a brain tumour will go to a jury trial after a (US) federal judge refused to dismiss her case.

OPAXIO: Cell Therapeuitics is continuing its randomized Phase II clinical study comparing OPAXIO (paclitaxel poliglumex, PPX, CT-2103) and radiation therapy with standard therapy for newly-diagnosed GBM patients.

Conferences and dates: June 15^th is the early registration deadline for the 10th meeting of the European Association of NeuroOncology  (EANO) to be held in Marseille, France, during 6-9 September. The 4th ESO-SIOP Europe Masterclass in Pediatric Oncology, to be held in Rome during 24-29 November, will include CNS tumours as a main topic. May 3 is the last day to register for the Childhood Cancer Action Day (3-4 June) in Washington DC.

Antibody treatment: Brain tumours are one of seven cancers that appear to respond in laboratory research involving an anti-CD47 antibody.

PatientView: The PatientView group has a new RSS feed for patient group news and invites patient groups to submit their news. See here.

Paediatric LGG: Promising results have been published of a Phase II study involving the use of vinblastine for paediatric low grade Glioma (LGG) patients who have experienced treatment failure with first-line chemotherapy.

NICE: The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been busy in two areas of interest to the brain tumour community: Opioids in Palliative Care, where it has released draft guidance, and headaches - where it will release draft guidance to stakeholders on 25 April.

Thank you for your continuing support.

 
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Chair and Co-Director)                                     
International Brain Tumour Alliance IBTA 
www.theibta.org

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Co-Director)
PO Box 244, Tadworth, Surrey
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The International Brain Tumour Alliance is a not-for-profit, limited liability company registered in England and Wales, registered number 6031485.  Registered office: Roxburghe House, 273-287 Regent Street, London W1B 2AD, United Kingdom.  All correspondence should be sent to the Co-Directors address above, not to the registered office.