Kadcyla

Kadcyla, an antibody-drug conjugate used in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

This case study examines Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) used for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer. Developed by Genentech and marketed by Roche, Kadcyla combines the trastuzumab monoclonal antibody with the cytotoxic agent DM1, linked via a stable MCC linker, allowing targeted drug delivery to cancer cells.

The report explores the rationale for product selection, company involvement in discovery and manufacturing, chemical composition, clinical trials, mechanism of action, and production process. Key aspects of upstream cell culture, downstream purification, and formulation are also discussed.

This report was carried out by Theo Kinsella as part of my MEngSc in Biopharmaceutical Engineering at UCD.