Antibody Drug Conjugate
What are antibody drug conjugates (ADCs)?
ADCs are medicines that deliver pharmaceuticals through targeted methods. An ADC uses a monoclonal antibody chemically linked to a drug, with the antibody also known as a linker.
The linker is designed to attach only to the targeted cells, bringing the drug along. In most cases, the target is a cancer cell. Once an ADC is bound to the target, whether that is a cancer receptor or protein, the ADC releases a cytotoxic drug into the cancer cell, killing it.
While most of the ADCs developed so far are used to treat cancer, there is enormous potential for the application of ADCs in treating other diseases, which biopharma and medtech companies can utilize to develop new treatment methods for diseases with limited or poor-performing therapies.
How do antibody drug conjugates improve healthcare?
ADCs offer a targeted approach to healthcare that brings medication directly to target cells. The benefits of this are significant. First, it limits side effects since ADC allows only cells with a specific marker or protein to be targeted instead of affecting all cells in the body. In the case of cancer, the healthy cells remain safe while only cancer cells are eradicated.
By targeting treatment to only cancerous cells, the drug can also be more aggressive, as there is no fear of the drug harming the patient’s healthy cells. This can then lead to improved health outcomes.