“Advancement of Site-Specific Conjugation and Linker Technologies”
- A significant and accelerating trend in the North America ADC market is the continued evolution of site-specific conjugation methods and next-generation linker technologies, enabling enhanced therapeutic precision, improved safety profiles, and better efficacy across various cancer types
- For instance, Seagen Inc.’s proprietary linker-payload technologies have played a pivotal role in the clinical and commercial success of ADCs such as Adcetris, which targets CD30-positive lymphomas with improved stability and reduced off-target toxicity. Similarly, the HER2-targeting ADC Enhertu, developed by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, incorporates a cleavable linker with a high drug-to-antibody ratio, contributing to its approval and growing adoption in HER2-low breast cancer treatment
- These advancements are enabling ADCs to address previously difficult-to-treat solid tumors, expanding their use beyond hematologic malignancies. In addition, integration with biomarker testing is allowing oncologists to better select patient populations, enhancing treatment outcomes
- U.S.-based companies are heavily investing in expanding ADC pipelines targeting a broader array of tumor antigens, with multiple ADCs progressing through late-stage clinical trials
- This trend toward highly specific, stable, and scalable ADC platforms is reshaping the oncology treatment paradigm across North America, with biopharmaceutical firms racing to develop novel ADC candidates with optimized efficacy and tolerability
