Technology Development
Affimed broadens its platform to develop unique antibody therapeutics.
Broad range of unique and proprietary antibody formats
In addition to its proprietary TandAb® format, Affimed invests significant efforts in the research and development of its antibody technology platform.
The FLEXIBODY is another innovative antibody format invented and patented by Affimed. Again, the possibility to bind two different targets via two binding valencies combined in one antibody molecule is the essential basis, as realized already in TandAb® molecules. Flexibodies are a combination of scFv with a diabody multimer motif resulting in a multivalent molecule with a high degree of flexibility for joining two molecules that are more distant from each other on the cell surface.
Experiments have confirmed this molecule’s excellent binding properties in vitro and in vivo. Like the TandAb®, a bispecific Flexibody is a homodimer, and both formats are comparable in terms of binding properties and stability.
The multifaceted advantages of a TandAb® compared to other formats or IgG will also be valid for Flexibodies: better pharmacokinetics, higher avidity due to four binding sites, improved ADCC to existing formats, improved safety and tolerability due to lack of the Fc-portion, and lower costs of manufacture due to production in E.coli. Presently, Flexibodies comprising diverse antigen and effector target combinations are the subject of early preclinical development.
