The difference between immunological drugs and targeted drugs of Vepotolizumab/Urova

Polatuzumab is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) with both targeting and immune mechanisms. This type of drug combines the specific recognition function of monoclonal antibodies with the direct killing effect of cytotoxic drugs. It not only belongs to the category of immunotherapy drugs, but also has the core characteristics of targeted drugs. Vepotuzumabtargets the CD79b antigen on the surface of B cells. This target is mainly found in malignant B-cell lymphoma. The drug recognizes CD79b through antibodies and accurately delivers the cytotoxic molecule MMAE (monomethyl auristatin E) into tumor cells, thereby inducing cell apoptosis. This dual role of "immune recognition + targeted killing" is the core advantage of ADC drugs.

In principle, immunological drugs focus on regulating the immune system and attacking cancer cells by activatingT cells or blocking immunosuppressive pathways, such as PD-1, CTLA-4 inhibitors, etc. Targeted drugs achieve precise treatment by interfering with signaling pathways, mutated genes or receptor proteins in cancer cells, such as EGFR, ALK inhibitors, etc. Vepotolizumab is somewhere in between. It not only exerts immune recognition through antibodies, but also directly destroys tumors through connected cytotoxins. Compared with simple immune checkpoint inhibitors, its efficacy is more direct and relies on the high expression of CD79b; unlike traditional targeted drugs, its effect relies on the antibody structure rather than the inhibition of a single molecular signal. Therefore, vepotuzumab can be regarded as a "new generation of targeted immune fusion drug" and an important breakthrough in the field of ADC in hematological tumors.

Research shows that velpotuzumab has significantly improved the overall response rate in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse largeB-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; non-Hodgkin lymphoma). It demonstrated higher disease control rates and longer progression-free survival when used in combination with rituximab and bendamustine.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/polivy.html