** Cancer drug developer's shares AFMD.O plummet 18 pct to
$2.00
** Co says an early-stage study testing its experimental
drug AFM13 in combination with Merck & Co's MRK.N Keytruda in
18 Hodgkin's lymphoma patients showed a complete response rate,
meaning no detectable sign of cancer, of 28 percent urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nGNX2Dlrj9
** However, early data from 9 patients announced in February
showed a better complete response rate of 44 percent
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nGNXOMVICa
** Investors were probably disappointed because compared
with earlier data, today's results make it challenging for the
combination to be eventually used as a medicine for previously
untreated patients, the largest market, Laidlaw & Co analyst
Yale Jen said
** Up to Thursday's close, stock had risen 88.5 pct YTD
(Reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru)
((Tamara.Mathias@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223
8780, outside U.S. +91 806749 1208; Reuters Messaging:
tamara.mathias.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))