Affimed Therapeutics AG is a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing antibody therapeutics for cancer and other diseases with unmet medical need. The Company was originally founded by Professor Melvyn Little and the German venture capital firm SHS (Gesellschaft für Beteiligungsmanagement mbH) in May 2000 as a spin-off from the »Recombinant Antibodies« research group headed by Professor Melvyn Little at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Affimed's core technology and discovery engine comprises three antibody libraries: fully human, synthetic and semi-synthetic. These libraries can then be screened using phage display to identify particular candidates for specific targets. Together they represent a formidable discovery engine, giving Affimed the power to find antibodies to address even historically difficult targets.
Affimed has additionally developed its own family of antibody formats, including TandAbs. TandAbs are unique tetravalent antibodies that are particularly well suited to targeting tumour cells. Along with Flexibodies, Fabs, Diabodies and straightforward IgG antibodies, this diversity of formats allows Affimed to select the most appropriate for any given target.
Affimed is using its discovery capabilities and antibody formats to develop a broad portfolio of antibodies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases with unmet medical need. The two lead programs target Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Hodgkin's Disease and are in advanced preclinical stages. Two additional preclinical programs and a range of other projects in are discovery.