A Patent Review on FDA‐Approved Antibody‐Drug Conjugates, Their Linkers and Drug Payloads

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a promising class of biologics since the first approval of Gemtuzumab ozogamicin in 2000. Compared to small molecule drugs, ADCs are structurally much more complex as they comprise of an antibody conjugated to cytotoxic payloads by specially-designed linkers. Correspondingly, the ADC patent landscape is also much more complex. This review collates and discusses the patents protecting ADCs approved by the FDA up to 31 December 2021, with particular emphasis on their linker and cytotoxin payload technologies.