Identification of antibody-drug conjugate payloads which are substrates of ATP-binding cassette drug efflux transporters. (PubMed, bioRxiv)
All the pyrrolobenzodiazepines tested - SJG136, SGD-1882, SG2057, and SG3199 - were substrates of P-gp, ABCG2, and MRP1. The modified anthracyclines nemorubicin and its metabolite PNU-159682 were poorly transported by both ABCB1 and ABCG2 and displayed nanomolar to picomolar toxicity. Further, we found that the efficacy of the recently FDA-approved ADC mirvetuximab soravtansine, which has DM4 as the toxic payload, was decreased in cell lines with overexpression of P-gp. Several commonly used ADC payloads can be effluxed from cells by ABC transporters which may lead to transporter-mediated drug resistance in patients. Future ADCs should be developed using payloads that are not substrates of ABC transporters.