Affimed Announces Acceptance of an Abstract on Preclinical Data of its Innate Cell Engager AFM28 at the European Hematology Association 2024 Congress
Treatment with AFM28 innate cell engager (ICE®), designed to target CD123-positive cancer cells in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), led to dose-dependent tumor growth control in a validated in vivo mouse model
AFM28 led to an effective reduction of CD123-expressing AML patient-derived leukemic blasts and stem cells in a newly engineered ex vivo bone marrow niche model
MANNHEIM, Germany, May 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Affimed N.V. (Nasdaq: AFMD), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company committed to giving patients back their innate ability to fight cancer, today announced the publication of an abstract for the annual congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA), taking place in Madrid, Spain, June 13 – 16, 2024. The abstract presents preclinical data of Affimed’s CD16A/CD123-targeting ICE®, AFM28, in an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) mouse xenograft model and shows that increasing doses of AFM28 lead to a dose-dependent tumor growth control, resulting in an increased median life span of the treated mice compared to controls.
In addition, the abstract shows a data set from a collaboration with Dr. Hind Medyouf’s group at the Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, Georg-Speyer-Haus, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In a newly engineered ex vivo Human Organotypic Marrow Environment (HOME) model, the combination of AFM28 and allogeneic NK cells can lead to an effective reduction of CD123-expressing AML patient-derived leukemic blasts and stem cells. Importantly, the HOME model exhibits key immune suppressive cellular components, i.e. mesenchymal niche cells, enhancing the translational relevance of AFM28 preclinical activity.
“The significant anti-leukemic activity of AFM28 observed in in vivo as well as in vitro settings is encouraging,” said Dr. Wolfgang Fischer, COO of Affimed. “In combination with the previously demonstrated safety profile in cynomolgus monkeys, these data indicate AFM28’s potential to eradicate residual disease in patients with AML in an effective and safe manner.”
Details of the poster presentation are as follows:
Title: The Bispecific Innate Cell Engager AFM28 Induces Potent Anti-tumor Activity against AML in a Xenograft Mouse Model and in a Bone Marrow Niche In Vitro Model
Presenting Author: Ioanna Tsoukala
Date and Time: Friday, June 14, 18:00 - 19:00 CET / 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Final Abstract Code: P478
For more details on the EHA conference, please visit: EHA2024 Hybrid Congress (ehaweb.org)
About AFM28
AFM28, a tetravalent, bispecific CD123- and CD16A-binding ICE®, is designed to bring our immunotherapeutic approach to patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It engages NK cells to initiate tumor cell killing via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, even at low CD123 expression levels. AFM28 is currently in clinical development as monotherapy in patients with AML (NCT05817058) and a combination with an allogeneic off-the-shelf NK cell product is being explored.