Is zotuximab/veluoyin a targeted drug or an immunotherapy drug?

Zolbetuximab (zolbetuximab) is a highly specific targeted therapy drug and is not an immunotherapy drug in the traditional sense. Its core mechanism is to target the CLDN18.2 protein on the surface of tumor cells, which is a tight junction protein highly expressed in gastric cancer and some gastroesophageal junction cancers. When the drug binds to CLDN18.2 , it can prompt immune cells to attack tumor cells through antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) mechanisms. Although this mechanism also involves immune effects, it is still classified as a targeted antibody rather than an immune checkpoint inhibitor immune drug.

Unlike immunotherapy drugs such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 , zotuximab It does not regulate the "brake" or "throttle" of the immune system, but fundamentally reduces the impact on normal tissues by accurately identifying molecular markers unique to tumor cells. Its advantage lies in its clear target and high accuracy, which can be used to screen out patient groups with high expression of CLDN18.2 and achieve clearer personalized treatment paths.

Judging from research trends, CLDN18.2 is becoming one of the core hot spots in the field of gastric cancer biomarkers. Zotuximab is a milestone as the first monoclonal antibody targeting this protein. International guidelines have also incorporated it into treatment strategies for specific stratified populations, making it an important new option in addition to traditional chemotherapy.

Although the boundaries between targeted drugs and immunotherapy overlap in some mechanisms, the classification standards are still clear. All the research and development logic, clinical verification methods, and indication screening strategies of zotuximab point to the "targeted therapy" category.

As a typical representative of CLDN18.2 target drugs, the emergence of zotuximab marks a new stage in precision treatment of gastric cancer and paves the way for the subsequent development of more innovative drugs based on tight junction proteins.

References: https://www.astellas.com/en/news/29401