Lorvotuzumab mertansine (IMGN901) is an antibody-drug conjugate. It comprises the CD56-binding antibody, lorvotuzumab (huN901), with a

maytansinoid Maitansine (INN), or maytansine (USAN), is a cytotoxic agent. It inhibits the assembly of microtubules by binding to tubulin at the rhizoxin binding site. It is a macrolide of the ansamycin type and can be isolated from plants of the genus ''Mayt ...

cell-killing agent, DM1, attached using a disulfide linker, SPP. (When DM1 is attached to an antibody with the SPP linker, it is

mertansine Mertansine, also called DM1 (and #Emtansine, in some of its forms emtansine), is a thiol-containing maytansinoid that for therapeutic purposes is attached to a monoclonal antibody through reaction of the thiol group with a linker structure to creat ...

; when it is attached with the thioether linker, SMCC, it is emtansine.) Lorvotuzumab mertansine is an experimental agent created for the treatment of CD56 positive cancers (e.g. small-cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer). It has been granted

Orphan drug An orphan drug is a pharmaceutical agent developed to treat medical conditions which, because they are so rare, would not be profitable to produce without government assistance. The conditions are referred to as orphan diseases. The assignment of ...

status for Merkel cell carcinoma. It has reported encouraging Phase II results for small-cell lung cancer.

References

Antibody-drug conjugates Experimental cancer drugs Monoclonal antibodies for tumors {{antineoplastic-drug-stub