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Ado Trastuzumab Emtansine
Ado trastuzumab emtansine is an antibody-drug conjugate that binds HER2-positive cancer cells and delivers a microtubule-disrupting toxin directly into them.
Ado trastuzumab emtansine is an antibody-drug conjugate that binds HER2-positive cancer cells and delivers a microtubule-disrupting toxin directly into them. Used for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, HER2-positive early breast cancer (adjuvant treatment), HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.
At a glance
| Generic name | Ado Trastuzumab Emtansine |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Kadcyla |
| Sponsor | Medstar Health Research Institute |
| Drug class | Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) |
| Target | HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Oncology |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
The drug combines trastuzumab (an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody) with emtansine, a microtubule-disrupting agent, via a stable linker. The antibody portion recognizes and binds HER2 on cancer cell surfaces, allowing internalization and release of the cytotoxic payload inside the cell, which disrupts microtubule formation and triggers apoptosis. This targeted delivery mechanism reduces systemic toxicity compared to conventional chemotherapy.
Approved indications
- HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer
- HER2-positive early breast cancer (adjuvant treatment)
- HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma
Common side effects
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Thrombocytopenia
- Elevated transaminases
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Left ventricular dysfunction
Key clinical trials
- Targeted Therapy Directed by Genetic Testing in Treating Patients With Advanced Refractory Solid Tumors, Lymphomas, or Multiple Myeloma (The MATCH Screening Trial) (PHASE2)
- A Study to Describe the Diagnosis, Anti-Cancer Treatment and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer in Latin America
- CompassHER2-pCR: Decreasing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer Patients After Pre-surgery Chemo and Targeted Therapy (PHASE2)
- Beamion BCGC-1: A Study to Find a Suitable Dose of Zongertinib Used Alone and in Combination With Other Treatments to Test Whether it Helps People With Different Types of HER2+ Cancer That Has Spread (PHASE1, PHASE2)
- Secondary BRain Metastases Prevention After Isolated Intracranial Progression on Trastuzumab/Pertuzumab or T-DM1 in Patients With aDvanced Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2+ brEast Cancer With the Addition of Tucatinib (PHASE2)
- I-SPY TRIAL: Neoadjuvant and Personalized Adaptive Novel Agents to Treat Breast Cancer (PHASE2)
- A Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Biomarker-Driven Therapies in Patients With Persistent or Recurrent Rare Epithelial Ovarian Tumors (PHASE2)
- Tumor-agnostic Precision Immuno-oncology and Somatic Targeting Rational for You (TAPISTRY) Platform Study (PHASE2)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Ado Trastuzumab Emtansine CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Ado Trastuzumab Emtansine updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Medstar Health Research Institute portfolio CI