When sequencing antibody-drug conjugates, clinical experience suggests that resistance to the chemotherapy payload is a primary driver of failure. Therefore, oncologists tend to avoid using another ADC with the same payload consecutively, preferring to switch both target and payload if possible.

Retrospective data shows that using one Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) after another, particularly those with the same class of payload like TOP1 inhibitors, results in a low response rate of 10-20%. This creates a significant unmet need and a major clinical challenge for patients who progress on a first-line ADC.

The primary reason Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) stop working is payload resistance, a shift from the traditional belief that failure stems from tumors losing the target antigen. This insight drives development of multi-payload ADCs to overcome this resistance mechanism.

Experts question the efficacy of sequencing ADCs like EV (Nectin-4 target) and DV (HER2 target) because they share the same MMAE chemo payload. Since resistance is often tied to the payload, not the target antibody, switching targets may not overcome resistance, though anecdotal responses have been observed.

When planning treatment for patients who will receive multiple antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), the prevailing clinical strategy is to focus on alternating the drug's payload (e.g., a tubulin inhibitor vs. a topoisomerase I inhibitor). This approach is believed to be more effective at overcoming resistance than alternating the cell-surface target.

When sequencing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for SCLC, resistance may be driven more by the cytotoxic payload (e.g., a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor) than the antibody's target antigen. This suggests prior exposure to a similar payload class could predict non-response, even when using an ADC with a different target.

With 18 of 19 ADCs in development for SCLC using a topoisomerase-1 inhibitor payload, there's a significant risk that patients may not respond to a second ADC after progressing on a first. This highlights a critical need to develop ADCs with alternative payloads to provide more therapeutic options and overcome resistance.

As more antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) become available, a key concern is resistance to the cytotoxic payload. If a tumor develops resistance to a topoisomerase-1 inhibitor from one ADC, it may not respond to other ADCs using the same payload, regardless of their different antibody targets, complicating future treatment sequencing.

Nearly all promising antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in late-stage development for small cell lung cancer utilize a topoisomerase-1 (Topo-1) inhibitor payload. This overlap raises a critical clinical question: if a patient develops resistance to one ADC, will they respond to another? This creates a significant challenge for treatment sequencing and patient selection.