Dr. Kahl on the Emergence of Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Lymphoma

Brad S. Kahl, MD, professor of medicine, Department of Medicine, Oncology Division, Medical Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discusses the emergence of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) in lymphoma.

 ADCs are a developing class of agents in the treatment of patients with lymphoma, Kahl says. Currently, several ADCs are approved for use in various types of lymphoma, and multiple others are in development, Kahl explains. The critical components that make an ADC successful include a targetable antigen, which internalized the antibody into the cell, Kahl explains. Moreover, an ADC needs a cytotoxic payload that can effectively kill cancer cells without being released freely into circulation, which would elicit off-target toxicity, Kahl adds.

Finally, an ADC requires the use of a linker, which causes the tight binding of the payload to the antibody until the payload is able to be released intracellularly, Kahl concludes.