Anti-DLL3 Monoclonal Antibody (Rovalpituzumab)

Rovalpituzumab was an antibody-drug conjugate targeting the DLL3 protein, initially developed primarily for the treatment of small cell lung cancer. It consisted of a humanized monoclonal antibody that specifically recognized and bound to the DLL3 protein on the surface of tumor cells, conjugated via a cleavable linker to a potent cytotoxic agent (PBD dimer) known as D6.5. Its mechanism of action was akin to a "biological missile," delivering the toxin precisely into DLL3-expressing tumor cells; upon internalization and release, the toxin caused DNA damage and subsequent cancer cell death.