ADC Therapeutics to Move Antibody Drug Conjugate ADCT-401 for Prostate Cancer into Human Clinical Trials

20-May-2014 - Switzerland

ADC Therapeutics (ADCT announced that it has selected its first IND candidate under its joint development agreement with MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca. This follows the October 2013 announcement in which MedImmune entered into a collaboration agreement with ADC Therapeutics to jointly develop two of ADCT’s antibody-drug conjugate programs in preclinical development.

ADCT-401 targets Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) a cell-surface antigen specifically expressed by prostate cancer cells. ADCT-401 comprises an anti-PSMA monoclonal antibody coupled with a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) warhead using a proprietary linker licensed from London-based Spirogen, a wholly owned subsidiary of MedImmune.  Initial clinical studies will focus on hormone-refractory prostate cancer and an IND filing is anticipated in 2015.

“We are excited by the preclinical efficacy data we have seen with ADCT-401 in a number of in vivo models of prostate cancer.  These data have encouraged us to continue development of this unique ADC for the treatment of refractory prostate cancer.  ADCT-401 was constructed and tested by the joint ADCT and Spirogen teams, and we are very pleased with the outcome,” said Dr. Peter B. Corr, Chairman of ADCT and Co-Founder and Managing General Partner of Auven Therapeutics, the private equity firm behind the formation of ADCT and its majority shareholder.

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