What Are Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)?
An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is a drug that combines a targeting antibody with an attached chemotherapy payload, designed to deliver the chemotherapy directly and specifically to cancer cells rather than throughout the body.
ADCs work in three parts: an antibody that recognizes and binds to a specific protein on the surface of cancer cells, a chemical linker, and a chemotherapy payload attached to the antibody. Once the antibody binds to the cancer cell, the payload is released directly at the tumor site, in principle reducing the exposure of healthy tissue to the chemotherapy compared with traditional intravenous chemotherapy.
ADCs are one of the fastest-growing categories of lung cancer clinical trials currently active, reflecting broader interest across oncology in this drug design approach following approvals in other cancer types.
Because ADCs still contain a chemotherapy component, they can carry chemotherapy-related side effects, even though the delivery mechanism is more targeted than traditional chemotherapy administration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are ADCs the same as targeted therapy?
They're related but distinct โ targeted therapy typically blocks a mutated protein's signaling function directly, while an ADC uses an antibody to deliver a chemotherapy payload specifically to cells expressing a target protein.
Do ADCs have chemotherapy side effects?
They can, since the payload is a chemotherapy agent, even though it's delivered in a more targeted way than traditional IV chemotherapy.