Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv for the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Metastatic urothelial carcinoma is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Research in recent years has led to the approval of new treatments that offer improved survival for patients. Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody drug conjugate that binds Nectin-4, a protein expressed on bladder cancer cells, and delivers the tubulin toxin, monomethyl auristatin E, into the cell causing cell death. Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv has changed the standard of care treatment in urothelial carcinoma with a high response and disease-control rate, acceptable toxicity profile and improved overall survival for patients who previously had limited options after failure of chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy. Areas covered: We review the pharmacology, clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability of enfortumab vedotin. Expert opinion: Enfortumab vedotin-ejfv has shown promising efficacy and safety in pretreated patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. It is currently being evaluated in clinical trials in earlier lines of treatment and in combination therapy.