Antibody-drug conjugates in oncology. Recent success of an ancient concept

Abstract

An Antibody-Drug Conjugate (armed antibody) is a vectorized chemotherapy that results from the grafting of a cytotoxic agent on a monoclonal antibody thanks to a judiciously designed spacer arm. ADCs have made considerable progress in 10 years. In 2009, only gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg®) was used clinically. In 2019, 4 other ADCs have been approved and more than 80 others are in active clinical trials. The first part of this review will focus on Food and Drug Administration-approved Antibody-Drug Conjugates, their limitations as well as their associated toxicity and resistance mechanisms.