Bispecifics and antibody–drug conjugates: A positive synergy

Abstract

Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are antibodies with two different paratopes. In the past decade, advances in protein engineering have enabled the development of more than 100 formats of BsAbs. With two BsAbs approved for therapeutic use and more than 60 in clinical trials, this research area has shifted from being effervescent to being a mainstream therapeutic development topic. In parallel, recent progress in protein conjugation and cytotoxicity of small molecule drugs has resulted in a boom in monospecific antibody therapeutics development such as antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs). Recent examples have demonstrated how BsAbs approaches can be used to generate ADCs with better efficacy and safety profile. Rather than examining these two different yet similar areas independently, this minireview will explore the potential synergies that can exist between them.