Improved biodistribution and antitumor effects of a Nectin4 and Trop2 bispecific fatty acid-modified nanobody conjugate

  • J Control Release. 2025 Oct 14;388(Pt 1):114325. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.114325.
Guangjun Jing  1 Jiajun Fan  2 Xuyao Zhang  2 Xian Zeng  2 Zheng Song  3 Weihong Ding  4 Dianwen Ju  5
Affiliations
  • 1. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, Shanghai 201203, China; iCareab Biotechnology Co. Ltd, 45# Songbei Rd, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215126, China.
  • 2. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, Shanghai 201203, China.
  • 3. iCareab Biotechnology Co. Ltd, 45# Songbei Rd, Suzhou Industrial Park, Jiangsu 215126, China.
  • 4. Department of Urology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, 12 Central Urumqi Road, Shanghai 200040, China,. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, Shanghai 201203, China; Quzhou Fudan Institute, 108 Minjiang Avenue, Kecheng District Quzhou, Zhejiang 324002, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
Abstract

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have revolutionized Cancer treatment by merging the targeting precision of antibodies with the cell-killing power of cytotoxic drugs. Yet traditional IgG-based ADCs suffer from toxicity issues, poor biodistribution, and high manufacturing cost. To overcome these hurdles, we created an innovative Fc-free bispecific nanobody drug conjugate (dtNDC) directed against Nectin4 and TROP2, two antigens highly expressed across many malignant cancers. The dtNDC, equipped with a C18 fatty acid modification, displayed excellent pharmacokinetics with a 20-h plasma half-life and negligible kidney accumulation while achieving rapid tumor uptake (peaking just 2 h post intravenous injection), striking an optimal balance between systemic persistence and tissue penetration. In nonclinical evaluations, Eribulin-loaded dtNDC demonstrated potent antitumor efficacy across three xenograft models. Notably, in MDA-MB-468 cell-based tumor bearing mice, two subcutaneous injection induced tumor free status in all mice; and it could also result in in complete remission following two intravenous administrations in HCC1954 cell xenograft tumors. Histopathological analysis confirmed absence of treatment-related toxicity in vital mouse organs (liver, lung, kidney, heart) at therapeutic doses. These findings position dtNDC as a promising therapeutic combining durable tumor regression with exceptional tolerability. Moreover, its simplified structure and cost-effective manufacturing process make this dtNDC a compelling next-generation therapeutic for cancers.

Keywords
ADC; Bispecific antibody; Cancer; Eribulin; Nanobody conjugate.
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