Loncastuximab tesirine (brand name Breyanzi) is a monoclonal antibody used to treat relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma in adults. It is a CD19-directed cytolytic antibody designed to bind to CD19, a protein found on certain types of B-cells, and induce cell death. Loncastuximab tesirine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2021. The most common side effects of loncastuximab tesirine include fever, chills, nausea, fatigue, cough, constipation, muscle or joint pain, and low blood cell counts.
Loncastuximab tesirine, sold under the brand name Zynlonta, is a medication used to treat adults with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising from low-grade lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma, after two or more lines of systemic therapy [1]. It is a type of medication called an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) [1].
An ADC is a molecule that combines a monoclonal antibody with a cytotoxic agent (a cell killer) [2]. The monoclonal antibody is designed to target a specific protein on the surface of cancer cells. Once the ADC is attached to the cancer cell, the cytotoxic agent is released inside the cell, where it can kill the cancer cell [2].
Loncastuximab tesirine works by targeting the CD19 protein. CD19 is a protein that is found on the surface of B-cells, a type of white blood cell. When loncastuximab tesirine binds to CD19, it is taken up by the B-cell. Inside the B-cell, the cytotoxic agent is released and kills the B-cell [2].
Sources:
[1] Wikipedia Loncastuximab tesirine: en.wikipedia.org [2] Antibody-drug conjugate: en.wikipedia.org