Antibody drug conjugates are generating excitement with a breast cancer treatment, which has few side effectsTokyo — A class of drugs is emerging that can attack cancer cells in the body without damaging surrounding healthy ones. They have the potential to replace chemotherapy and its disruptive side effects, reshaping the future of cancer care.
DS-8201, which will be filed for US approval by the end of September, is so well-regarded that some analysts already predict it will surpass the $7bn in annual sales for Roche Holding’s breast cancer drug Herceptin, which it aims to replace. Analysts say DS-8201 could triple the number of patients who get powerful targeted treatment for breast cancer, the most common tumour in women that kills more than half a million annually.
About 56 pharmaceutical companies are developing ADC candidates, including ImmunoGen and Seattle Genetics, and they could be targets for acquisitions or licensing deals from global pharmaceuticals anxious for a piece of the ADC pie, according to Cowen“ADCs are being positioned as a chemo replacement,’’ Cowen analysts including Boris Peaker wrote in an April note. “There is significant potential for partnership activity.
The actual use of ADCs began in 2000, but the interest in the sector cooled down as many failed to live up to expectations. The therapies belong to a broader category of cancer immuno-therapies that include Merck’s Keytruda and Novartis’s CAR T-cell therapy Kymriah that harness the immune system to kill tumours.Daiichi Sankyo’s drug takes ADCs to another level.
“It would be transformative” if the drug were to become the sole first-line treatment, said David Fredrickson, president of AstraZeneca’s oncology business. “If we can eliminate the side effects associated with chemotherapy, that would be a tremendous benefit for women.”
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