Date: 2015-01-07
Type of information: Grant
Company: Affimed (Germany)
Investors: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Germany)
Amount: € 2.4 million ($3 million)
Funding type: grant
Planned used: The grant will cover approximately 40% of funding for a research and development program to develop multi-specific antibodies for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Affimed has developed new classes of tetravalent, tumor cell-engaging antibodies, bispecific TandAbs and Trispecific Abs, both of which target cytotoxic effector cells (such as T- or NKcells) and tumor cells at the same time. TandAbs selectively bind to one antigen on the effector cell and one antigen on the tumor cell, bringing these cells close together and triggering a signaling cascade that results in destruction of the tumor cell. The bispecific Tand NK-cell recruitment approach has already been clinically validated in Affimed’s two clinical-stage programs. Trispecific Abs are based on the same principle but are able to recognize two different antigens on cancer cells in addition to the effector cell antigen. This results in especially high affinity and, importantly, in increased selectivity for malignant tissues compared to healthy tissues. Affimed has implemented three platform technologies, Bispecific TandAbs engaging NK-cells (via CD16A), Bispecific TandAbs engaging T-cells (via CD3) and Trispecific Abs engaging either NK- or T- cells.
Others: * On January, 7, 2015, Affimed, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted cancer immunotherapies, announced that it has been awarded a € 2.4 million ($3 million) grant from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The grant is awarded under the BMBF’s “KMUinnovative: Biotechnology – BioChance” program\".
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
