Making Hot ADCs

Guided by a specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), antibody drug conjugates or ADC are a new, emerging, class of drugs able to deliver a drug payload directly to an intended target. This approach has recently been boosted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris®; Seattle Genetics) to treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla®; Genentech) for metastatic breast cancer.
These new biotherapeutic drugs will bring many regulatory issues to the forefront regarding the ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Excretion) profile of each ADC. In this article, the authors discuss this and other important aspects of antibody-drug conjugates.