What are different antibody drug conjugates?
Antibody-drug Conjugates or ADCs are highly targeted biopharmaceutical drugs that combine monoclonal antibodies specific to surface antigens present on particular tumor cells with highly potent anti-cancer agents linked via a chemical linker.
What is a monoclonal antibody drug conjugate?
KON-jih-gut) A substance made up of a monoclonal antibody chemically linked to a drug. The monoclonal antibody binds to specific proteins or receptors found on certain types of cells, including cancer cells. The linked drug enters these cells and kills them without harming other cells.
What are antibody drug conjugates used for?
Antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs are a class of biopharmaceutical drugs designed as a targeted therapy for treating cancer. Unlike chemotherapy, ADCs are intended to target and kill tumor cells while sparing healthy cells. As of 2019, some 56 pharmaceutical companies were developing ADCs.
How many antibody drug conjugates are there?
As one of the research and development hotspots in the field of medicine, more than 100 ADCs are currently in different stages of clinical development, and there are hundreds of ongoing clinical trials.
How are antibody drug conjugates administered?
All ADCs are administered via intravenous injection. Once in the circulation, linker stability in plasma is of high importance. In vivo studies in animals address the release of payload over time and typically measure total antibody, conjugated ADC, and free drug.
How are antibody drug conjugates manufactured?
An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is formed by covalent biochemical conjugation of a monoclonal antibody with highly toxic payload drugs via a small molecular linker.
How long has rituximab been on the market?
Rituximab, initially approved in 1997 by the US FDA for use in relapsed/refractory indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and subsequently in other indications, was the first monoclonal antibody (mAb) utilized in oncology and remains widely used over two decades later [1].