The safety and efficacy of this agent(s), or use in this setting, has not been established or is subject to confirmation. For an agent(s) whose safety and efficacy has not been established or confirmed, future regulatory approval or commercial availability is not guaranteed.

Brentuximab vedotin

Geo Regions

Brentuximab vedotin

Overview + Rationale

  • Brentuximab vedotin is an antibody-drug conjugate composed of the antibody SGN-30, directed to human CD30,1,2 which is covalently attached to the microtubule-disrupting agent MMAE2,3 via a protease-cleavable mc-vc linker2-4
  • CD30 is expressed in many B- and T-cell lymphomas while having limited expression in normal tissue1

Partner: Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.

Mechanism of Action

Targeted delivery of MMAE to CD30- expressing tumor cells is the primary mechanism of action of brentuximab vedotin. 5 However, the direct cytotoxicity associated with brentuximab vedotin may be complemented by secondary effects, 6 including the bystander effect and several important immune-oncology related effects, such as immunogenic cell death 7-9 and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. 10

Stage of Development

Brentuximab vedotin is being investigated in combination with other agent(s) in the tumor types shown here. Safety and efficacy for the uses listed below has not been established.

small icon representing Hematologic Cancer
Hodgkin Lymphoma
Phase 2 Combination*

Phase 2 Combinations*§
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Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma (PTCL)
Phase 2 Combination*
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Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
Phase 3 Combination*
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Melanoma
Phase 2 Combination
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Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Phase 2 Combination
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Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck (SCCHN)
Phase 2 Combination

*Closed to Enrollment. §Study is sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

REFERENCES: 1. Wahl AF. Cancer Res. 2002: 3736-42; 2. Francisco JA. Blood. 2003: 1458-65; 3. Doronina SO. Nat Biotechnol. 2003: 778-84; 4. Okeley NM. Clin Cancer Res. 2010: 888-97; 5. ADCETRIS prescribing information. June 2023; 6. Li F. Cancer Res. 2016: 2710-19; 7. Gardai 
SJ. Cancer Res. 2015: Abstract 2469; 8. Muller P. Cancer Immunol Res. 2014: 741-55; 9. Heiser R. Molec Cancer Ther. 2023: doi:10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-23-0118; 10. Oflazoglu E. Blood. 2007: 4370-2. 11. NCT03646123. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03646123 Accessed 
February 25, 2024; 12. NCT02927769. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02927769 Accessed February 25, 2024; 13. NCT04569032. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04569032 Accessed February 25, 2024; 14. NCT04404283. 
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04404283 Accessed February 25, 2024. 15. NCT04609566. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04609566 Accessed February 25, 2024