November 19, 2020
Impact: High
- Results for Affimed’s AFM13 (CD30/CD16A ICE; Innate Cell Engager) in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in a phase 1b study for r/r Hodgkin Lymphoma patients have been published in the journal Blood. Key efficacy data included (n=30):
- ORR (Objective Response Rate): 88% (CR rate: 46%) at the recommended dose level
- Investigators deemed the combination to be safe and well tolerated with adverse events that were manageable.
inThought Analysis
This proof-of-concept study has demonstrated promising results for the AFM13/Keytruda combination in r/r Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). Assessed patients were heavily pretreated having received 3-7 prior therapies. For comparison, Keytruda monotherapy demonstrated an ORR of 69% (CR rate: 22.4%) in the KEYNOTE-087 trial which enrolled 2L+ HL patients. AFM13 has shown an improved ORR and significant improvement in CR rate. AFM13 aims to augment anti-tumor immune responses by activating NK cells and macrophages via CD16A directed engagement. Should similar improvements in response rates be observed in other tumor types, this MOA has the potential to be broadly utilized for immunogenic tumors.
Source: Affimed Press Release
