Antibody Drug Conjugates: From ” Targeted Chemotherapy” to Next Generation Precision Oncology Agents

The Bard once asked, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose any other name would smell as sweet.”  This classic quote is relevant as we consider ADCs (or any variants thereof). Despite the clinical benefits and significant sales of approved agents (18 ADCs approved to date globally), and the evident activity in dealmaking, there are still some who would call these agents just “souped-up chemo.” This perspective either acknowledges the still relevant issue of tolerability and safety, even for the latest generation of agents, or perhaps stems from a bit of envy or annoyance at such a dominant modality currently occupying a significant portion of the Oncology dealmaking landscape. And what are driving these deals (aside from FOMO)? A sizeable extent and projected market: as it cannot be denied that the space is evolving quickly into one of the major modalities in oncology, for both solid tumors and hematological malignancies, with >$17B in global sales expected in 2025, and 1000+ active trials globally, with anticipated global annual sales of >$40B by 2030.