Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company Affimed N.V. (Nasdaq:AFMD) reported on Wednesday that the first patient has been dosed in the first-in-human clinical trial of the innate cell engager (ICE) AFM28.

The phase 1 multicentre, open label, dose escalation study is designed to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of AFM28 monotherapy in patients with CD123-positive (r/r) acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

AFM28 directs natural killer (NK) cells to CD123-positive leukaemic cells, including blasts and leukaemic stem and progenitor cells, inducing their depletion in samples of patients with AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Affimed also intends to develop AFM28 in combination with allogeneic NK cell therapy.