Benzinga | Feb 3, 2021 08:43AM EST

Affimed Partners With Roche To Develop AFM24 Combo Therapy In EGFR Expressing Solid Tumors

* Affimed N.V. (NASDAQ: AFMD) has entered into a clinical research collaboration with Roche Holding AG (OTC: RHHBF) to explore the combination of Affimed's AFM24 with Roche's atezolizumab (Tecentriq) for the treatment of advanced solid epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expressing malignancies in patients whose disease has progressed after treatment with previous anticancer therapies.

* Affimed will fund and conduct Phase 1/2a trial to evaluate will establish a dosing regimen for the AFM24 and atezolizumab combination therapy and assess the safety and potential activity under the terms of the agreement.

* AFM24 is a novel tetravalent, bispecific EGFR- and CD16A-binding innate cell engager that activates innate immunity by inducing both antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. The drug candidate is currently being evaluated as monotherapy in adult patients with advanced solid malignancies known to be EGFR-positive in a multiple ascending dose escalation/expansion study.

* AFMD shares are trading higher by 8% at $6.35 in the pre-market session on the last check Wednesday.