Development of Antibody–Drug Conjugates for Malignancies of the Uterine Corpus: A Review

TL;DR

This paper reviews the development and use of antibody-drug conjugates for treating uterine cancers, highlighting recent approvals and ongoing research.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of ADCs in uterine malignancies, including their structure, clinical trials, and focus on uterine sarcoma.

Findings

Trastuzumab deruxtecan became the first ADC approved for uterine malignancies in 2024.

ADCs are being actively investigated for various uterine cancers, including under-researched uterine sarcoma.

The paper summarizes recent clinical trials and outlines future research directions for ADCs.

Abstract

Despite recent advances in cancer treatment, the prognosis for uterine malignancies (carcinoma and sarcoma) requires further improvement. Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a novel class of anti-cancer therapeutic agents, and multiple ADCs have been approved for other types of cancer. In 2024, trastuzumab deruxtecan received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for cancer types and became the first ADC approved for the treatment of uterine malignancies. Many ADCs are currently being investigated in uterine malignancies, and therefore, there is a need to gain a deeper understanding of ADCs. In this article, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the advancements in ADCs. The contents of this article include the structure and mechanism of action, an analysis of recent clinical trials, and expected future clinical questions. This article also focuses on uterine sarcoma, which is not often highlighted as a target for ADC treatment.

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