Affimed to Present Data at ASCO to Highlight Potency of NK-Cell-Engaging Combination Therapy with Checkpoint Modulators



--Further Posters to be Presented on Translational Data for CD33/CD3-TandAb Program--
 
Heidelberg, Germany, May 13, 2015 - Affimed N.V. (Nasdaq: AFMD), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing highly targeted cancer immunotherapies, announced today that pre-clinical data from a combination study of Affimed's lead candidate AFM13 and checkpoint modulators, including checkpoint inhibitor PD-1, will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2015 Annual Meeting being held May 29 - June 2, 2015 in Chicago, IL.
 
  • On Saturday, May 30, "CD137 co-stimulation and blocking PD-1 enhances NK cell-mediated target lysis by CD30/CD16A TandAb AFM13" (Abstract #3050) will be available in a poster session. The results of this preclinical study developed by Dr. Holbrook Kohrt at Stanford University and using PDX mice with actual human cancers, demonstrate the impressive synergy of Affimed's AFM13 in combination with PD-1. These findings, along with AFM13's proven safety profile in patients, support the further investigation of AFM13 as a combination therapy with check-point-inhibiting antibodies to treat various hematologic malignancies expressing CD30.
 
In addition, three posters by Affimed and its partners Amphivena and Janssen on its collaborative CD33/CD3 program for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will be presented. The program further validates the robustness of Affimed's proprietary TandAb technology platform, allowing for rapid identification of candidate molecules which are stable, highly expressed, and display significant in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity. 
 
  • Importantly, corroborative evidence of the direct correlation between binding affinity and potency will be shown in work done by Dr. John DiPersio of Washington University in St. Louis ("In vitro and in vivo killing of AML using tetravalent bispecific CD33/CD3 TandAbs" Abstract #3057 on Saturday, May 30), by Dr. Roland Walter of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ("Construction characterization of novel CD33/CD3 tandem diabodies (TandAbs) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)" Abstract #7067 on Sunday, May 31), and by Affimed and Amphivena ("Development of a bispecific tetravalent CD33/CD3 TandAb for the treatment of AML" Abstract #7071 on Sunday, May 31).
 
Full abstracts of corporate and collaborator presentations can be accessed on the ASCO website at abstracts.asco.org.  
 
About Affimed N.V.
Affimed (Nasdaq: AFMD) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing highly targeted cancer immunotherapies. Affimed's product candidates are being developed in the field of immuno-oncology, which represents an innovative approach to cancer treatment that seeks to harness the body's own immune defenses to fight tumor cells. The most potent cells of the human defense arsenal are types of white blood cells called Natural Killer cells, or NK-cells, and T-cells. Affimed's proprietary, next-generation bispecific antibodies, called TandAbs for their tandem antibody structure, are designed to direct and establish a bridge between either NK-cells or T-cells and cancer cells, triggering a signal cascade that leads to the destruction of cancer cells. Affimed has focused its research and development efforts on three proprietary TandAb programs for which it retains global commercial rights. For more information, please visit www.affimed.com.
 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look forward to", "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the risk of cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned clinical studies and/or development of our product candidates. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, risks associated with our clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, product commercialization, intellectual property claims, and the risks, uncertainties and other factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Affimed's prospectus dated September 12, 2014 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
 
 
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Affimed to Present Data at ASCO to Highlight Potency of NK-Cell-Engaging Combination Therapy with Checkpoint Modulators



--Further Posters to be Presented on Translational Data for CD33/CD3-TandAb Program--
 
Heidelberg, Germany, May 13, 2015 - Affimed N.V. (Nasdaq: AFMD), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing highly targeted cancer immunotherapies, announced today that pre-clinical data from a combination study of Affimed's lead candidate AFM13 and checkpoint modulators, including checkpoint inhibitor PD-1, will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2015 Annual Meeting being held May 29 - June 2, 2015 in Chicago, IL.
 
  • On Saturday, May 30, "CD137 co-stimulation and blocking PD-1 enhances NK cell-mediated target lysis by CD30/CD16A TandAb AFM13" (Abstract #3050) will be available in a poster session. The results of this preclinical study developed by Dr. Holbrook Kohrt at Stanford University and using PDX mice with actual human cancers, demonstrate the impressive synergy of Affimed's AFM13 in combination with PD-1. These findings, along with AFM13's proven safety profile in patients, support the further investigation of AFM13 as a combination therapy with check-point-inhibiting antibodies to treat various hematologic malignancies expressing CD30.
 
In addition, three posters by Affimed and its partners Amphivena and Janssen on its collaborative CD33/CD3 program for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will be presented. The program further validates the robustness of Affimed's proprietary TandAb technology platform, allowing for rapid identification of candidate molecules which are stable, highly expressed, and display significant in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity. 
 
  • Importantly, corroborative evidence of the direct correlation between binding affinity and potency will be shown in work done by Dr. John DiPersio of Washington University in St. Louis ("In vitro and in vivo killing of AML using tetravalent bispecific CD33/CD3 TandAbs" Abstract #3057 on Saturday, May 30), by Dr. Roland Walter of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center ("Construction characterization of novel CD33/CD3 tandem diabodies (TandAbs) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)" Abstract #7067 on Sunday, May 31), and by Affimed and Amphivena ("Development of a bispecific tetravalent CD33/CD3 TandAb for the treatment of AML" Abstract #7071 on Sunday, May 31).
 
Full abstracts of corporate and collaborator presentations can be accessed on the ASCO website at abstracts.asco.org.  
 
About Affimed N.V.
Affimed (Nasdaq: AFMD) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing highly targeted cancer immunotherapies. Affimed's product candidates are being developed in the field of immuno-oncology, which represents an innovative approach to cancer treatment that seeks to harness the body's own immune defenses to fight tumor cells. The most potent cells of the human defense arsenal are types of white blood cells called Natural Killer cells, or NK-cells, and T-cells. Affimed's proprietary, next-generation bispecific antibodies, called TandAbs for their tandem antibody structure, are designed to direct and establish a bridge between either NK-cells or T-cells and cancer cells, triggering a signal cascade that leads to the destruction of cancer cells. Affimed has focused its research and development efforts on three proprietary TandAb programs for which it retains global commercial rights. For more information, please visit www.affimed.com.
 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look forward to", "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the risk of cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned clinical studies and/or development of our product candidates. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons, including, without limitation, risks associated with our clinical development activities, regulatory oversight, product commercialization, intellectual property claims, and the risks, uncertainties and other factors described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Affimed's prospectus dated September 12, 2014 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
 
 
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