A comprehensive review on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Even though both targeted and immunotherapy-based therapies have been established as frontline standard-of-care for patients with advanced lung cancer, adverse events, resistance, and disease progression remain unavoidable in most instances. In this scenario, chemotherapy is a popular salvage option, but it has restricted therapeutic index. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a viable option. ADCs combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy to deliver cytotoxic payloads to cancer cells in a direct fashion. Among the promising ADCs used in advanced solid tumors, HER2 targeted ADCs of trastuzumab ematansine and trastuzumab deruxtecan are key drugs in this field.