Antibody–drug conjugates in hematologic malignancies

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) represent an important therapeutic modality for the treatment of various hematologic malignancies. These include gemtuzumab ozogamicin and inotuzumab ozagamicin for acute leukemias; brentuximab vedotin, polatuzumab vedotin, and loncastuximab tesirine for lymphoid malignancies; and belantamab mafadotin for multiple myeloma. Although ADCs do provide an effective off-the-shelf approach to selectively deliver cytotoxic agents by targeting specific cell surface antigens, many ADCs have also been associated with unique toxicities related to the antigen target, linker, or payload that have limited their development. In this review, the clinical development and current role of ADCs in the therapeutic landscape of hematologic malignancies are discussed.