Is the CLDN18.2 targeted drug zotuximab?

CLDN18.2 is a Claudin 18.2 isoform tight junction protein that is abnormally highly expressed in a variety of gastrointestinal tumors, especially in patients with gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. The expression of CLDN18.2 is relatively specific and its expression is restricted in normal tissues, making it an ideal candidate marker for targeted therapy. The targeted drug targeting CLDN18.2, zolbetuximab (zolbetuximab-clzb)-VYLOY, is one of the most mature monoclonal antibody drugs currently in clinical development. Zotuximab specifically recognizes and binds to CLDN18.2, thereby activating the immune system to clear tumor cells. It mainly exerts anti-tumor effects through antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) mechanisms.

Although there are other CLDN18.2-targeted drugs under development on the market, such as CAR-T cell therapy and bispecific antibodies, zotuximab is the representative drug that is currently approved for marketing and has shown good efficacy in international clinical trials. Therefore, from the perspective of current drug development and clinical application, "CLDN18.2-targeted drugs" refer to zotuximab in most situations. The drug has demonstrated significant efficacy in patients with advanced gastric cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer, especially in patients with positive CLDN18.2 expression.

It needs to be emphasized thatThe concept of CLDN18.2-targeted drugs is broad and covers a variety of innovative therapies under development. Zotuximab is the first internationally approved and widely used clinical treatment drug and has high clinical value and safety. This specific targeting strategy is expected to bring new therapeutic breakthroughs to patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors, especially when traditional therapies have limited effects, providing patients with more precise and personalized treatment options.

Reference materials:https://www.astellas.com/en/news/29401