Affimed puts on hold cancer drug trial after patient death

New Delhi: Drug Developer Affimed N.V. has put on hold the testing of its experimental cancer drug following the death of a patient and two life-threatening events.

The company's shares slumped 25 per cent to $3.82 in after-market trading.

Affirmed is testing the drug, AFM11, for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in two separate early-stage trials.

The patient death occurred in the acute lymphoblastic leukaemia drug trial, while the life-threatening events took place in the non-Hodgkin lymphoma study.

Thirty-three patients have been treated in the two early-stage studies, the company said.

Affirmed said it was working with global health authorities, the safety monitoring committees and the studies' clinical investigators to review the events and will update on AFM11 after completing the evaluation.

The clinical hold would not affect the company's other ongoing experimental cancer drug studies, Affirmed said.