# Payload (ADC)

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/payload/  
OnCo record `payload` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The payload is the poison an ADC carries, usually a chemotherapy far too toxic to give on its own.

## Summary

The payload is the cytotoxic warhead conjugated to the antibody. Classes: tubulin inhibitors (MMAE, MMAF, DM1, DM4), topoisomerase-I inhibitors (DXd, SN-38, exatecan, belotecan derivatives), DNA-damaging agents (PBD dimers, calicheamicin, duocarmycin). Newer payloads: degraders, immune agonists, radionuclides. Membrane permeability determines bystander killing.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-09-04

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibody-drug_conjugate
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibody-drug_conjugate

## Connected records

- technologies: [Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)](https://onco.cc/technologies/adc/), [Topoisomerase-I inhibitors (and ADC payloads)](https://onco.cc/technologies/topoisomerase-inhibitors/)
- drugs: [Eribulin](https://onco.cc/drugs/eribulin/), [Inotuzumab ozogamicin](https://onco.cc/drugs/inotuzumab-ozogamicin/), [Irinotecan (and liposomal irinotecan)](https://onco.cc/drugs/irinotecan/), [Polatuzumab vedotin](https://onco.cc/drugs/polatuzumab-vedotin/), [Sacituzumab govitecan](https://onco.cc/drugs/sacituzumab-govitecan/)
- ideas: [Continuous-flow synthesis of ultra-potent ADC payloads to ease the capacity squeeze](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-reg-hpapi-continuous-flow/), [Dose and schedule optimisation trials specific to antibody-drug conjugates](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-tr1-adc-dose-and-schedule-optimisation/), [Linked human organ chips to predict side effects before people are dosed](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio1-multi-organ-chip-tox/), [Platform designation for ADC linker-payloads so manufacturing data carry across](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-reg-adc-platform-designation/), [Tumour-on-a-chip with blood flow to test whether big drugs actually get in](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio1-tumour-on-chip-penetration/), [Use antibodies to deliver protein-destroying drugs into the right cells](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio1-antibody-degrader-conjugates/), [Use SLFN11 status to decide which antibody-drug payload to give next](https://onco.cc/ideas/idea-bio1-slfn11-payload-guidance/)
- key papers: [ASCENT: sacituzumab govitecan doubles survival in heavily pretreated metastatic triple-negative breast cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ascent-nejm-2021/), [DESTINY-Breast03: trastuzumab deruxtecan beats T-DM1 as second-line treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-destiny-breast03-nejm-2022/), [EV-302: enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab replaces chemotherapy as first treatment for advanced bladder cancer](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-ev-302-nejm-2024/)
- terms: [Calicheamicin](https://onco.cc/terms/calicheamicin/), [Chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/terms/chemotherapy-term/), [DM1](https://onco.cc/terms/dm1/), [DM4](https://onco.cc/terms/dm4/), [DNA alkylator payloads](https://onco.cc/terms/dna-alkylator-payloads/), [DNA cleaver payloads (enediynes)](https://onco.cc/terms/dna-cleaver-payloads/), [DNA crosslinker payloads (PBD dimers)](https://onco.cc/terms/pbd-dimer-payloads/), [Duocarmycin (seco-DUBA)](https://onco.cc/terms/duocarmycin/), [DXd](https://onco.cc/terms/dxd/), [Exatecan (and derivatives)](https://onco.cc/terms/exatecan/), [MMAE](https://onco.cc/terms/mmae/), [MMAF](https://onco.cc/terms/mmaf/), [PBD dimer (SG3199 / tesirine)](https://onco.cc/terms/pbd-sg3199/), [Prodrug](https://onco.cc/terms/prodrug/), [SN-38](https://onco.cc/terms/sn-38/), [T030 (belotecan derivative)](https://onco.cc/terms/t030/), [Topoisomerase-I inhibitor payloads](https://onco.cc/terms/topoisomerase-i-payloads/), [Tubulin inhibitor payloads](https://onco.cc/terms/tubulin-inhibitor-payloads/)
- pathways: [DNA replication & origin licensing](https://onco.cc/pathways/dna-replication-licensing/), [Drug efflux pumps (ABC transporters)](https://onco.cc/pathways/drug-efflux-pumps/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/payload.json