Bite My Shiny Metal ADC! New Cancer Drugs Aim to Dethrone Chemotherapy!

Chemo? Never Heard of Her!

Alright meatbags listen up! Bender is here to tell you that chemotherapy the old rusty robot of cancer treatments might be getting scrapped! Turns out these fancy pharmaceutical companies like AstraZeneca and Pfizer are cooking up something called Antibody Drug Conjugates or ADCs. Sounds like something I'd drink but apparently it's designed to laser blast cancer cells while leaving the good stuff alone. Unlike chemo which let's be honest is like using a sledgehammer to fix a toaster – messy and ineffective.

Billions and Billions… of Dollars!

These greedy corporations are throwing money at ADCs like I throw back booze at a wedding! Billions I tell ya! Why? Because they're hoping these ADCs will be the next big thing. The golden goose that lays platinum eggs! They want to replace chemotherapy to 'ease the trials of cancer treatment and make them big money in the process'. But like Fry trying to understand quantum physics some experts aren't convinced it's a done deal. 'I think we've had some successes in the space but I think the early hopes that they would sweep away the need for chemotherapy have mostly been unfulfilled so far,' says Dr. John Heymach. Party pooper.

AstraZeneca's Bold Claim: 'Replace Chemo!'

But hold on to your hats folks! David Fredrickson from AstraZeneca is strutting around like he just won the Miss Universe pageant claiming they're 'leading the way towards establishing ADCs as a precision based approach to replace classic chemotherapy.' Precision you say? Sounds like a job for a robot! And I’m the best there is… at everything! And while I may be a boozer a smoker and occasionally a thief I am also apparently the future of cancer treatment... indirectly. So remember my name baby! Bender Bending Rodriguez the cancer cell's worst nightmare!

From Zero to Hero: The ADC Evolution

It's been a long and winding road since the first ADC rolled off the assembly line in 2000. Now there are over a dozen approved in the U.S. and hundreds more in development. And the big boys are scooping them up like I scoop up loose change from a crashed robot. Pfizer dropped a cool $43 billion on Seagen in 2023. That's enough to buy a lifetime supply of booze... and maybe a small moon.

The $31 Billion Question

Speaking of money experts estimate ADCs could be a $31 billion market by 2028! That's enough to make even me jealous! But it's not all sunshine and rainbows folks. There are still some kinks to work out. Some of these ADCs are leaking their toxic payloads like a broken beer keg causing side effects and all that jazz. They gotta find the right cancer causing proteins to target and new payloads for these drugs. But hey at least they're trying. Maybe they'll even ask for my expert robotic opinion!

Enhertu: The Rising Star

Enter Enhertu the hotshot ADC from AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo. This bad boy delivers more chemo per dose and uses a smart linker that only releases the drug inside tumors. It's like having a tiny robot assassin inside your body! They want to move Enhertu earlier in the treatment process where 'curing is the goal.' Sounds ambitious but hey I always say 'Go big or go home!… or just stay home it’s easier.' And with sales topping $3.7 billion in 2024 it looks like they're on the right track.