Is veentuzumab/presiduo a targeted drug or an immune drug?

Enfortumab is a targeted drug whose mechanism of action mainly uses an antibody conjugation strategy to achieve precise killing. Specifically, it is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), which is composed of a specific antibody linked to a potent cytotoxic small molecule drug. The antibody part can recognize and bind to the specific target nectin-4 on the surface of tumor cells, while the drug part releases cytotoxicity after being taken up by tumor cells, thereby directly destroying cancer cells. Because its efficacy relies on target recognition and intracellular release of toxins, it is a typical targeted anti-tumor drug rather than an immune checkpoint inhibitor immune drug.

Although veentuzumab has targeting properties, its clinical efficacy also involves the involvement of the immune system. The antibody part can induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and activate the patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack tumors, thereby enhancing the anti-tumor effect to a certain extent. However, this mechanism of action still belongs to the category of targeted drugs, rather than immune drugs that directly regulate immune checkpoints, such as PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4 inhibitors.

This design concept of veentuzumab makes it show unique value in patients with urothelial cancer (bladder cancer) who have progressed after previous chemotherapy or immunotherapy. It can exert a cytotoxic effect on the basis of accurate identification of tumor cells while minimizing damage to normal tissues. Compared with traditional chemotherapy drugs, its targeting improves the safety of treatment and its side effects are more controllable; compared with pure immune drugs, it relies on cytotoxicity to achieve a more direct anti-tumor effect.

Therefore, venetuzumab is an antibody-conjugated targeted drug, not an immune drug. Understanding this classification is of great significance for clinicians to formulate treatment plans, evaluate efficacy and manage side effects. It also helps patients understand the mechanism of drug action and treatment positioning, thereby optimizing treatment options.

Reference: https://www.padcev.com/