Does zotuximab/veluoyin belong to the category of chemotherapy drugs?

Zolbetuximab (zolbetuximab) is a targeted immunotherapy drug and is not a chemotherapy drug in the traditional sense. Chemotherapy drugs usually work by directly killing rapidly dividing cancer cells. However, zotuximab enhances the body's immune system through immune checkpoint inhibition and helps immune cells recognize and attack tumor cells. Specifically, zotuximab is an anti-CLDN18.2 monoclonal antibody that mainly acts on gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and other tumors. It activates the patient's immune response and inhibits the growth of tumor cells by targeting the CLDN18.2 protein on the surface of tumor cells.

Zotuximab has a different therapeutic mechanism than traditional chemotherapy drugs. Chemotherapy drugs usually kill tumors by destroying the DNA of cancer cells or inhibiting cell division. Although the effect is significant, the side effects are large and can easily affect healthy cells. Zotuximab enhances the body's immune system to accurately attack tumor cells and reduce damage to healthy cells. As an immunotherapy drug, it generally has milder side effects and longer-lasting therapeutic effects.

Although zotuximab is not a chemotherapy drug in the traditional sense, in clinical practice, especially for patients with advanced cancer, zotuximab is often used in combination with chemotherapy drugs to enhance the therapeutic effect. Combination therapy can make the effects of drugs complement each other, thereby improving efficacy and improving patient survival and quality of life. In this case, zotuximab, as a targeted immunotherapy drug, is used in combination with traditional chemotherapy drugs to help patients gain more treatment options when facing cancer.

Therefore, zotuximab does not belong to the category of chemotherapy drugs, but to targeted immunotherapy drugs. It activates the body's immune system and precisely targets tumor cells, providing cancer patients with more precise and safe treatments.

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