Transcenta Therapeutics has unveiled promising preclinical data on its LIV1-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) during the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting. The proprietary monoclonal antibody 48D6 demonstrates high specificity and internalization for LIV1, a zinc transporter overexpressed in multiple cancers, including breast (93%), prostate (72%), and lung (10%) cancers. The ADC candidates, ADC-2 and ADC-3, exhibit potent anti-tumor activity and favorable tolerability profiles, suggesting their potential as effective therapies for LIV1-positive solid tumors.

The significance of these findings lies in the differentiated payload-dependent efficacy observed in pharmacokinetic studies. ADC-2 showed a half-life of 10.4–11.6 days, significantly longer than a benchmark analog, indicating enhanced stability in vivo. Efficacy studies in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models revealed that ADC-2 effectively inhibited tumor growth in ER+/HER2- breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) models. Moreover, ADC-3 demonstrated substantial tumor growth suppression in prostate cancer models, maintaining efficacy for over 70 days post-treatment, underscoring the therapeutic potential of these ADCs.

The implications of this research could reshape therapeutic strategies for treating LIV1-positive malignancies. The data support further clinical exploration of Transcenta’s ADCs, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and other solid tumors expressing LIV1. As ADC technology continues to evolve, these findings may accelerate drug development timelines and enhance the precision of targeted therapies in oncology, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes in difficult-to-treat cancer types.

Source: globenewswire.com