Affimed Reports Safety and Efficacy of Acimtamig and AlloNK® in R/R cHL Patients

In recent developments in the field of immuno-oncology, Affimed N.V., a clinical-stage company, has presented promising data at the 66th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition concerning their innovative treatment for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL). This treatment involves a combination of acimtamig (AFM13) with Artiva Biotherapeutics' allogeneic NK cell product, AlloNK®.

The study, part of the LuminICE-203 (AFM13-203) phase 2 trial, included 22 patients who had previously undergone extensive treatments. These patients had received a median of five prior therapies, which included intensive combination chemotherapy, PD(L)1 checkpoint inhibitors, and brentuximab vedotin. Additionally, around two-thirds of the participants had previously undergone stem cell transplants. Despite these extensive treatments, the combination of acimtamig and AlloNK® showed significant efficacy, achieving an overall response rate (ORR) of 86% and a complete response (CR) rate of 55%.

The safety profile of the combination therapy was also notable, with no unexpected safety signals reported. Importantly, there were no incidences of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) or immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS).

Dr. Andreas Harstrick, Chief Medical Officer of Affimed, expressed enthusiasm over the results, emphasizing the potential of this combination treatment for patients with R/R cHL who have exhausted other treatment options. Dr. Harstrick highlighted the significance of over 50% of the patients achieving complete response, indicating a promising future for this innovative therapy.

These findings align with previous data from the AFM13-104 study, which also demonstrated the efficacy of acimtamig in combination with fresh allogeneic NK cells in a similar patient group. The current results from the LuminICE-203 trial reinforce the potential of using acimtamig with off-the-shelf, cryopreserved NK cells, such as AlloNK®, in a multi-center setting. The LuminICE-203 trial is still ongoing, with patient enrollment continuing.

Acimtamig (AFM13) is a first-in-class ICE® that targets CD30-positive hematologic tumors by activating the innate immune system. It is designed to engage and activate natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages to specifically and selectively kill CD30-positive tumor cells. The drug acts as a bridge between the immune cells and the tumor, facilitating the destruction of the tumor cells by the innate immune system.

The LuminICE-203 (AFM13-203) trial is an open-label, multicenter, multi-cohort phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of acimtamig in combination with Artiva Biotherapeutics’ allogeneic NK cell AlloNK® (AB-101) for patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma and CD30-positive peripheral T cell lymphoma. This trial builds on the success of the AFM13-104 study, which investigated acimtamig combined with cord blood-derived NK cells for patients with refractory or recurrent CD30-positive Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Affimed N.V. is dedicated to harnessing the power of the innate immune system to fight cancer. Their proprietary ROCK® platform creates customized molecules that enable the immune system to target and destroy tumor cells. The company’s pipeline includes several ICE® molecules in various stages of clinical development, being evaluated both as monotherapies and in combination with other treatments. Headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, Affimed boasts a team of experienced biotechnology and pharmaceutical leaders committed to advancing cancer treatment.

Affimed's recent presentations and the ongoing LuminICE-203 trial underscore their commitment to providing new, effective treatment options for patients with challenging cancer conditions, aiming to restore the patients' innate ability to combat cancer.