Comprehensive List of FDA-Approved Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) – Updated for 2024

Comprehensive List of FDA-Approved Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) – Updated for 2024

Comprehensive List of FDA-Approved Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) – Updated for 2024

Overview:
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) represent a cutting-edge approach to cancer treatment. These innovative therapies combine the targeting ability of antibodies with the potency of cytotoxic drugs. By linking an antibody, a cytotoxic agent, and a chemical linker, ADCs allow precise delivery of the drug to cancer cells, minimizing harm to healthy tissues and enhancing treatment outcomes.

How ADCs Work:

• Targeted Delivery: ADCs use antibodies to specifically bind to antigens on tumor cells. This precise targeting ensures that the cytotoxic drug is delivered directly to cancer cells, reducing side effects.
• Cytotoxic Action: Once the ADC enters the cancer cell, the cytotoxic drug is released. The drug disrupts the cancer cell’s DNA or inhibits microtubule synthesis, leading to cell death.

Advantages Over Traditional Chemotherapy:

• Improved Specificity: ADCs target tumor-specific antigens, reducing damage to healthy cells and improving patient outcomes.
• Increased Potency: The combination of a targeted antibody and a cytotoxic drug enhances the ability to destroy cancer cells.

Development and Challenges:

• Complexity: Although the concept of ADCs has been around for over a century, challenges such as drug-linker stability and precise targeting have slowed their development. Despite these hurdles, ADCs continue to make significant strides in cancer treatment.
• Current Market: As of 2024, the FDA has approved 13 ADCs, including Trodelvy® (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy). Initially approved for triple-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC), Trodelvy® was recently expanded to treat HR-positive, HER2-negative MBC following the successful TROPiCS-02 trial. (see table 1 below)