RE: "Confronting the late-stage challenge in ADC development"30 Dec 2025 10:21
interesting indeed but no mention of pdc's, which is obviously deliberate. the author, of all people, will be aware of avacta but nothing, i wonder why?
i asked perplexity.ai for a quick summary on adc/pdc:
peptide–drug conjugates (pdcs) are unlikely to make antibody–drug conjugates (adcs) obsolete; both platforms will probably coexist and be used where their specific strengths fit best.
where pdcs have advantages
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pdcs are much smaller than antibodies, which gives them better tissue penetration, faster tumor entry, and generally lower immunogenicity than adcs.
peptides are easier and cheaper to synthesize and modify (solid-phase synthesis, non‑natural amino acids, cyclization), allowing more ****geneous products and flexible payload/linker designs.
rapid clearance can reduce systemic toxicity, and high specificity peptides can help overcome some resistance mechanisms by changing how drugs enter tumor cells.
where adcs remain strong
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adcs use full monoclonal antibodies with very high affinity and long half-lives, which supports infrequent dosing and sustained exposure in circulation.
there are already more than a dozen fda‑approved adcs across multiple tumor types, with large clinical experience, established manufacturing, and strong commercial investment.
new adc generations are adding better linkers, smarter payloads, and ai‑assisted design, so the adc field itself is still evolving rather than stagnating.