Cryopreserved CAR-like NK Cells Pre-Complexed with the CD30/CD16A Bispecific Innate Cell Engager (ICE®) AFM13 for the Treatment of CD30 + Malignancies

AFM13 is a bispecific tetravalent innate cell engager (ICE®) with two binding sites for CD16A and CD30 on immune cells and tumor cells, respectively. AFM13 is designed to potently activate anti-tumoral responses of natural killer (NK) cells, through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and macrophages via antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) towards CD30 + tumor cells. It is widely known that the number of NK cells and their anti-tumor activity are often compromised in patients with cancer, including CD30 + malignancies such as Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) (Reiners, K.S. et al., Mol Ther 2013;21:895-903). Accumulating evidence suggests that the selective, high affinity binding of ICE® to CD16A enables stable pre-complexing with NK cells to enhance ADCC.