Evidence mapPaperPMID 40646707Full record

ReviewJournal of peptide science : an official publication of the European Peptide Society2025

Peptide-Drug Conjugates: A New Hope for Cancer.

Amy Armstrong, Fleur Coburn, Yanyamba Nsereko, Othman Al Musaimi

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of peptide science : an official publication of the European Peptide Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Self-Assembly of Peptides and Biomolecular Systems Into Functional Nanomaterials.Journal of peptide science : an official publication of the European Peptide Society · 2026
    Review
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. 2025 FDA TIDES (Peptides and Oligonucleotides) Harvest.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. "Precision on Two Wheels"─Structural Refinement ofJournal of medicinal chemistry · 2025
    Article
  14. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Amy ArmstrongSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4919-1223
Fleur CoburnSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5129-6110
Yanyamba NserekoSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9815-1518
Othman Al MusaimiSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2421-1825

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) are advancing as targeted cancer therapies, leveraging lessons from antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to improve tumour specificity. These molecules combine a homing peptide with a cytotoxic payload via a linker, enabling precise drug delivery while sparing healthy tissue. Despite their potential, PDCs face challenges including metabolic instability, premature payload release and rapid clearance, limiting clinical success. Only Lutathera remains FDA-approved after Pepaxto's withdrawal, though Pepaxto retains EMA and MHRA approval-highlighting regulatory and technical complexities. Most PDCs target overexpressed receptors (e.g., somatostatin and GnRH), though novel designs like CBX-12 employ alternative strategies. Currently, six PDCs are in Phase III trials, with ~96 in development, signalling growing interest. This review explores how ADC research has guided PDC optimisation, particularly in linker chemistry and payload selection. We analyse key structural features governing PDC efficacy, including peptide-receptor binding and intracellular trafficking. Innovations in stable linkers and tumour-selective activation mechanisms are critical to overcoming pharmacokinetic hurdles. Promising candidates in late-stage trials are highlighted, emphasising their potential to address unmet needs in oncology. By refining targeting precision and payload delivery, next-generation PDCs may expand treatment options for resistant cancers, bridging the gap between biologics and small-molecule therapies.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsImmunoconjugatesNeoplasmsPeptidesAnimalsDrug Delivery SystemsHumansAntineoplastic AgentsImmunoconjugatesPeptidescancercleavable and noncleavable linkersPDCpeptidesreceptor‐less‐targetingtargeted therapy

Identifiers

PMID40646707
PMCPMC12254541

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.