A cancer breakthrough you should know about: Antibody-drug conjugates
Antibody-drug conjugates seek out and invade cancer cells, leaving less damage to healthy cells.
What are antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)?
Why were antibody-drug conjugates created?
Some cancer therapies are “systemic,” which means they affect cells throughout the body, even ones that are healthy. If, for example, a drug targets rapidly dividing cells as a way to eliminate cancer cells, healthy cells, such as those controlling hair growth or digestion, may also be damaged, leading to side effects like hair loss and nausea.
ADCs work differently because they can deliver powerful medicine directly to the cancer cells using a targeted delivery system.
How do antibody-drug conjugates work?
ADCs consist of 3 main parts:
- A monoclonal antibody, which acts as the guide. A special protein finds the cancer cells and sticks to markers on the cancer, like a key fitting a lock. This helps avoid healthy cells.
- A payload (medication). It destroys the cancer cells once it’s inside.
- A linker, which connects the guide and the medicine together. It keeps them connected until they reach the cancer cell.
What’s next for antibody-drug conjugates?
We believe ADCs hold potential for people with cancer. That’s why Pfizer is continuing research to further understand their potential. We’re looking at fine-tuning every part of the ADC, exploring new combinations, improving their design, and expanding their reach to bring the potential benefits of ADCs to more people facing cancer.
We’re exploring using ADCs in combination with immunotherapy to treat certain advanced cancers. We are also leveraging our expertise to target both known and new cancer cell markers, while also testing different types of cancer-killing drugs (payloads).
Ultimately, our goal is to bring the benefits of ADCs to more patients and make a difference in cancer treatment.
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