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Like an ADC but with a small targeting peptide instead of an antibody, so it penetrates tumours faster and is cheaper to make.
Peptide-drug conjugates replace the antibody of an ADC with a short or bicyclic peptide that binds the target, giving rapid tumour penetration and renal clearance, with a short half-life that reduces systemic exposure and cheaper synthesis. Examples include melflufen (Pepaxto, withdrawn in the US), lutetium radioligands (technically peptide-radionuclide conjugates), and clinical-stage PDCs such as BT8009 zelenectide pevedotin, a Nectin-4 Bicycle toxin conjugate, and CBX-12, an exatecan-SMDC. Bicycle's zelenectide pevedotin is in phase 2/3 in urothelial cancer. The same short half-life that limits toxicity also limits tumour exposure, and renal toxicity is a class concern. The simple version is an ADC with a small peptide as the address label, faster to penetrate tumours and cheaper to make.
Short peptide or bicyclic peptide binds the target; short half-life reduces systemic exposure.
A myeloma drug given accelerated approval in 2021 and withdrawn in the US months later when its confirmatory trial suggested it shortened survival.
Rusfertide is the first drug to control polycythaemia vera's excess red cells by restricting iron, sparing patients repeated blood removal.
A tiny peptide instead of an antibody carries the same payload as Padcev to Nectin-4, with far less rash and neuropathy in early data, but its developer stepped back in 2026.
Query for this technology: (TITLE:"peptide-drug conjugate" OR ABSTRACT:"peptide-drug conjugate" OR TITLE:"peptide drug conjugate" OR ABSTRACT:"peptide drug conjugate" OR TITLE:"bicycle toxin conjugate" OR ABSTRACT:"bicycle toxin conjugate"). Results are unfiltered search hits about Peptide-drug & small-molecule-drug conjugates, not a curated reading list.
Shares Study to Evaluate the Long-term Safety of Rusfertide (PTG-300) in Subjects With Polycythemia Vera, VERIFY, Rusfertide.
Shares VERIFY, Rusfertide.
Shares VERIFY, Rusfertide.
Shares VERIFY, Rusfertide.
Shares Nectin-4, ADC roadmap: from Mylotarg to bispecific and dual-payload ADCs, Bladder & urothelial cancer, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Shares De novo designed protein binders, Bladder & urothelial cancer, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Shares Nectin-4, Bladder & urothelial cancer, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).
Shares Nectin-4, ADC roadmap: from Mylotarg to bispecific and dual-payload ADCs, Bladder & urothelial cancer.