Chinese Domestic ADC Drugs Shine at AACR 2026 as R&D Surge Accelerates Global Expansion

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Exhibition ReportFrom April 17 to 22, at the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting held in the United States, Chinese-produced ADC drugs shone brightly. A large number of pharmaceutical companies in China, including Hansoh Pharma, Zai Lab, Qilu Pharmaceutical, Duality Biologics, TopAlliance Biosciences, CStone Pharmaceuticals, and Viva Biotech, announced their research findings.
 

Hansoh Pharma announced the Phase I results of risvutatug rezetecan (HS-20093/GSK5764227) in combination with adebrelimab at this year's AACR Annual Meeting. The data, presented in an oral report, came from an expansion cohort of the ARTEMIS-101 study – evaluating risvutatug rezetecan in combination with adebrelimab for previously treated driver gene (AGAs)-negative non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsq-NSCLC) patients.
 

Data show that Risvutatug rezetecan is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting B7-H3, currently under clinical investigation for various solid tumors. Adebrelimab is a fully human anti-PD-L1 IgG4 monoclonal antibody, which has been approved in China for first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. The results of the study announced this time show that the combination of Risvutatug rezetecan and Adebrelimab achieved encouraging antitumor activity, with a confirmed ORR of 47.1%, DCR of 94.1%, median DoR of 12.6 months, and median PFS of 14.0 months (32.4% event rate); OS data are still immature. The overall safety of Risvutatug rezetecan combined with Adebrelimab is manageable. Common ≥ Grade 3 adverse events include decreased white blood cell count, decreased neutrophil count, decreased lymphocyte count, and anemia.
 

Zai Lab presented data at the AACR Annual Meeting on the DLL3-targeted ADC zocilurtatug pelitecan, which demonstrated rapid and significant intracranial responses, as assessed by an independent review using the modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology Brain Metastases (mRANO-BM) criteria, in patients with previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) and brain metastases. Promising data were also observed in other neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) patients.
 

Data shows that zocilurtatug pelitecan (zoci, formerly known as ZL-1310) is a novel ADC targeting DLL3. DLL3 is a validated therapeutic target for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and is also overexpressed in various neuroendocrine tumors, often associated with poor clinical prognosis. Zoci is expected to become an anti-cancer product launched by Zai Lab, with plans to conduct three registrational studies by the end of 2026, involving second-line and above SCLC, first-line SCLC, and extrapulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma.
 

The first data results of Qilu Pharmaceutical's QLS5132 in the Phase I clinical trial for treating platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients have been selected for oral presentation at the plenary session of the conference’s clinical research. According to the information, injectable QLS5132 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) independently developed by Qilu Pharmaceutical that targets CLDN6, combining the potent cytotoxic effects of traditional small-molecule drugs with the precise targeting of antibody drugs. Data shows that as of January 21, 2026, this study enrolled a total of 28 patients with advanced platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, with an ORR and DCR of 50.0% and 94.4%, respectively, including 9 subjects achieving partial response (PR).
 

Duality Bio's DB-1326 Debuts at the 2026 AARC Annual Meeting. DB-1326 (Glycosylated MUC1 Dual-Payload ADC) is one of the few ADCs globally that breaks through the limitations of traditional cytotoxic drugs and features a novel mechanism of action with its linker-payload complex.
 

Tuoji Pharmaceuticals Discloses Preclinical Data of Next-Generation Dual-Epitope HER2-Targeted ADC Drug TJ106. The product can bind to two different epitopes of HER2, promoting receptor clustering and enhancing endocytosis efficiency. Data show that TJ106 exhibits potent anti-tumor activity across various HER2-expressing tumor models, including HER2 low-expression, heterogeneous expression models, as well as models resistant to previous HER2-targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates (including trastuzumab deruxtecan).
 

At this annual meeting, CStone Pharmaceuticals showcased the latest achievements of two self-developed pipeline products: CS5007 (EGFR/HER3 ADC) and CS5008 (DLL3/SSTR2 ADC). VibeBio announced new research findings on the CD3/CDH17 bispecific antibody ADC LBL-054 TDC at the conference...
 

With the continuous breakthroughs in key technologies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which possess unique therapeutic value, have become a popular competitive field, sparking a高潮in drug development. Data shows that the global ADC market size will reach 16.51 billion US dollars in 2025, increasing by 27% year-on-year. Chinese pharmaceutical companies are accelerating their efforts to break through, moving from the local market to the global stage and becoming the core force of China's innovative drugs "going overseas". In the future, as more domestically produced ADCs enter Phase III clinical trials and receive approval for marketing, China's innovative drugs will continue to bring more efficient, safer, and more accessible treatment options to cancer patients worldwide.
 

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice to any person.