Lonza Withdraws Majority of Claims in Patent Lawsuit Against Northwest Bioth...( BETHESDA Md. Dec. 20 /- Northwest...)

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Northwest Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: NWBO; AIM: NWBS and NWBT), Northwest Biotherapeutics ("NWBT") announced today that Lonza Group AG has withdrawn all claims of patent infringement involving NWBT's DCVax(R)-Brain product and other NWBT DCVax(R) products other than DCVax(R)-Prostate. Lonza had alleged that NWBT's DCVax(R) cancer vaccine products infringed certain gene expression technology patents held by Lonza. However, as could be seen from publicly available information sources -- available before the Lonza lawsuit was filed as well as since then -- NWBT does not use any gene modification or gene expression system in its DCVax(R) products.

Lonza filed suit against NWBT on July 27, 2007, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging that all of NWBT's DCVax(R) products infringed certain gene expression patents held by Lonza. After the filing of a lawsuit, a period of up to 120 days is allowed for service of the complaint on the party sued. In this case, Lonza chose not to serve NWBT throughout the entire 120-day period. As a result, the filing of an answer and counterclaims by NWBT was delayed until this extended period had expired. During the 120-day period, NWBT provided further information to Lonza -- in addition to the already publicly available information sources -- showing that NWBT's DCVax(R) products do not use any gene expression system. When Lonza still chose not to withdraw its complaint, NWBT filed an answer and counterclaims as soon as the 120-day period expired, denying all infringement claims by Lonza, and seeking recovery for violation of the Delaware Deceptive Trade Practices Act, unfair competition, tortious interference with prospective contractual relations, and abuse of process, including, among other things, treble damages and punitive damages. Following NWBT's filing of this answer and counterclaim, Lonza agreed with NWBT to the dismissal of
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