ABSTRACT
Cadherin-6 (CDH6) is expressed in several cancer types, but no CDH6-targeted therapy is currently clinically available. Here, we generated raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd; DS-6000), a novel CDH6-targeting antibody-drug conjugate with a potent DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, and evaluated its properties, pharmacologic activities, and safety profile. In vitro pharmacologic activities and the mechanisms of action of R-DXd were assessed in serous-type ovarian cancer and renal cell carcinoma cell lines. In vivo pharmacologic activities were evaluated with several human cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenograft mouse models. The safety profile in cynomolgus monkeys was also assessed. R-DXd exhibited CDH6 expression-dependent cell growth-inhibitory activity and induced tumor regression in xenograft models. In this process, R-DXd specifically bound to CDH6, was internalized into cancer cells, and then translocated to the lysosome. The DXd released from R-DXd induced the phosphorylation of Chk1, a DNA damage marker, and cleaved caspase-3, an apoptosis marker, in cancer cells. It was also confirmed that the DXd payload had a bystander effect, passing through the cell membrane and impacting surrounding cells. The safety profile of R-DXd was favorable and the highest non-severely toxic dose was 30 mg/kg in cynomolgus monkeys. R-DXd demonstrated potent antitumor activity against CDH6-expressing tumors in mice and an acceptable safety profile in monkeys. These findings indicate the potential of R-DXd as a new treatment option for patients with CDH6-expressing serous-type ovarian cancer and renal cell carcinoma in a clinical setting.