How the Next Generation Antibody Drug Conjugates Expands Beyond Cytotoxic Payloads for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Antibody-drug Conjugates or ADCs combine the selectivity of antibodies with the efficacy of small molecule drugs, allowing for more precise, targeted, therapeutic applications. Combining the advantages of antibodies in binding a specific target with the capabilities of a therapeutic payload, the majority of ADCs in preclinical and clinical development are for indications in oncology and hematology, where the cytotoxic payloads linked to antibodies are targeting antigen-expressing cancer cells.[1] Over the last two decades, researchers have also explored opportunities to develop ADCs beyond cancer, into other disease indications including autoimmune disease, difficult-to-treat bacterial infections, and atherosclerosis. However, to succeed in the development of these non-oncologic ADCs, a number of challenges need to be resolved in order to fulfill the larger promise of ADC technology.