Emerging antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies: perspectives from the global patent landscape
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent one of the most significant innovations in biopharmaceutical research, integrating antibody target specificity with the cytotoxic potency of small-molecule payloads. Despite rapid progress, the technological structure and knowledge dynamics underlying ADC innovation remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to map the ADC technological landscape through patent analysis of 6,620 patent families published before 30 June 2025. BERTopic was applied to extract global topics, and characterize the ADC knowledge structure. A directed patent citation network was constructed at the patent family level, and patent citations were aggregated by dominant topic to establish a topic citation network. Degree-based and PageRank metrics were used to identify key topics and evaluate their functional roles in knowledge flow. The analysis categorized 47 technological topics into nine clusters covering Target Selection, Biological Mechanisms, Antibody Structure, Therapeutic Indications, Conjugation Chemistry, Linker Chemistry, Payload Modality, Delivery Systems, Formulations and Stability. Ten key topics were identified as hubs within the topic citation network, comprising five target topics: B-cell surface antigens, B7 family antigens, Mesothelin, AXL, and HER family receptors; two payload topics: PBD payloads and Camptothecin-derived payloads; two mechanism topics: Interleukin immunocytokine and Immune checkpoint modulation, and one delivery topic: Nanoparticle delivery. Topic role analysis indicated distinct patterns among absorption-oriented, diffusion-oriented, and bridging topics in shaping knowledge absorption, dissemination, and trans-topic reorganization. This study provides an evidence-based view of the ADC patent landscape and offers strategic insights for target prioritization, payload design, and R&D planning. It also demonstrates the applicability of integrated patent landscape analysis to other emerging technology fields.