On July 15th, 2013 Affimed Therapeutics AG, the TandAb antibody company reported that its subsidiary Amphivena Therapeutics Inc., a drug discovery company developing bispecific TandAb antibodies to treat hematological tumors, has successfully completed a $14 million Series A equity financing.
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The Series A financing was led by MPM Capital, with participation from Aeris Capital and Affimed AG. Amphivena will use the proceeds for the pre-clinical development of a novel therapy for a hematological disorder based on Affimed’s proprietary TandAb antibody technology.
Separately, in addition to the Series A financing, working with the London Innovation Centre of Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the Oncology Therapeutic Area within Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Amphivena has entered into an agreement with Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen) that grants Janssen the exclusive right, at Janssen’s discretion, to acquire Amphivena following IND approval upon pre-negotiated terms and conditions set forth in the agreement. Janssen will provide Amphivena with an initial upfront payment plus additional contingent payments based on reaching predetermined milestones in return for its rights under the agreement.
Affimed AG has entered into a license and development agreement with Amphivena to support the discovery and pre-clinical development of the novel TandAb based therapy.
Dr. Luke Evnin, Managing Director of MPM Capital; Phil Gutry, Principal at MPM Capital; Dr. Frank Mühlenbeck, Partner at Aeris Capital; and Dr. Adi Hoess, CEO of Affimed AG; will each join Amphivena’s Board of Directors.
"Affimed’s TandAb platform shows significant promise in addressing this critical patient need," said Dr. Luke Evnin of MPM Capital. "We are excited to partner with antibody cancer experts of such caliber."
"Amphivena in collaboration with Affimed AG will develop novel bi-specific TandAb antibodies to improve the existing therapy for a specific hematological malignancy," said Adi Hoess, CEO of Affimed AG. "We are excited that MPM and Aeris Capital have partnered with us to support the development of a novel agent and are pleased to enter into this relationship with Janssen."