Northwest Biotherapeutics, a Bethesda, Maryland-based biotechnology company developing DCVax® personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, announced on October 8, 2026 a collaboration with the UK’s National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to support production of its experimental cancer vaccine DCVax®-L. NWBio says the agreement is the culmination of months of joint work between the organizations.
“NHSBT’s impressive expertise and facilities for advanced therapies are at the forefront of the field. We are very excited about collaborating with them on our DCVax®-L personalised immune therapies for cancer. We believe NHSBT’s capabilities can significantly enhance the scale-up and accessibility of DCVax®-L,” said Linda Powers, CEO of Northwest Biotherapeutics.
How the Collaboration Works
DCVax®-L is a personalized dendritic cell-based therapy being developed for glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. Because each dose is made for an individual patient, production starts with collecting the patient’s own immune cells.
Working with NWBio and Advent Bioservices, two NHSBT teams are supporting key manufacturing stages:
- Therapeutic Apheresis Services (TAS): performs leukapheresis to collect the immune cell starting material for each patient’s treatment. Leukapheresis is an established procedure in which blood is collected and separated to obtain specific white blood cells, with the remaining blood components returned to the patient.
- Cellular and Molecular Therapies (CMT): provides specialist processing and handling of the cellular material.
Starting in Leeds and Oxford
The collaboration initially involves NHSBT’s sites in Leeds and Oxford. NHSBT, NWBio, and Advent Bioservices are exploring a phased expansion to additional NHSBT locations across England. NHSBT operates therapeutic apheresis units in 10 cities, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Oxford, Plymouth, and Sheffield.
“The collaboration forms part of ongoing work between NHSBT, NWBio and Advent Bioservices to strengthen the infrastructure supporting the production of DCVax®-L in the UK. We aim to help make cutting edge advanced therapies more accessible,” said Dr. James Griffin, Medical Director at NHSBT. “Alongside the planned expansion of the existing therapeutic apheresis and cell processing model, the organisations are also exploring opportunities for broader collaboration involving NHSBT’s specialist laboratory and advanced therapies capabilities.”
Where DCVax®-L Stands
NWBio completed a 331-patient Phase III trial of DCVax®-L for GBM, published the results in JAMA Oncology, and submitted a marketing authorization application (MAA) for commercial approval in the UK, which is currently under review. The company has also developed DCVax®-Direct for inoperable solid tumors, completing a 40-patient Phase I trial, and previously conducted a Phase I/II trial of DCVax-L in advanced ovarian cancer with the University of Pennsylvania.
About Northwest Biotherapeutics
Northwest Biotherapeutics is a Bethesda, Maryland-based biotechnology company developing personalized immunotherapy products for cancer based on its DCVax® dendritic cell vaccine platform. Its lead program is DCVax®-L for glioblastoma, an orphan disease.
