M. Sherry Ku

President
Kuder Consulting Company
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Dr. M. Sherry Ku is the founding president and Chief Consultant of Kuder Consulting Company. Her past experience includes:
Chairman of Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Savior Lifetec Corp.
Founding President and Board member of RH Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Founding President/CSO/Board member, TWi Biotech and TWi Pharma Inc.
Pfizer Co, Pearl River, NY 10965 (previously Wyeth Research/American Cyanamid/Lederle)
 
In the 25-year tenure in Pfizer, she was promoted through the ranks to oversee new drug development for over 170 new clinical leads resulting in 85 original NME IND filings. Since 1985, she developed nine (9) commercial products including Suprax, Zosyn/Tazocin, Zebeta, Isovorin, Thioplex, Sonata, Tygacil, Bosulif, Neratinib. Upon repatriation to Taiwn, Sherry was instrumental in the IPO of Savior Lifetec and TWi Pharma.
 
Sherry is a graduate of National Taiwan University (B.S.) and The Ohio State University (Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. She is a licensed Pharmacist.
 
She was the Vice Chair of NJ Pharmaceutical Discussion Group and is the chair elect of AAPS Physical Pharmacy and Biopharmaceutical section. She sits on USP expert council and consults for sFDA, tFDA, IPEC and various Quality Councils. She currently holds over 70 patents/invention disclosures and has additional 62 Journal publications.

Speech title & Synopsis

The Evolving Landscape Of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC/RDC)

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a well-established class of targeted cancer therapies that are used to treat both hematologic (blood) cancers and solid tumors. ADCs are comprised of a monoclonal antibody, a cytotoxic drug, and a linker. The toxin with a proper linker design is not supposed to release in the blood stream until the ADC is internalized inside the tumor cells. It reduces the systemic toxicity and allows for a higher dose of the toxin to reach cancer cells. In this way, ADCs are more efficacious than giving the toxin alone. Radionuclei drug conjugates (RDCs) are of a simpler design than ADC because they deliver radiation directly to cancer cells upon reaching the target, whereas ADCs requires internalization followed by linker cleavage for payload release. This simplifies the design and mechanism of action for RDCs.  ADCs and RDCs are currently among the most promising drug classes in oncology, with efforts to expand their application for non-oncological indications and in combination therapies.
 
The purpose of this presentation is to summarize the nuanced structural and functional properties of ADCs, while outlining opportunities for RDC. Further, we highlight the clinical development of ADC combination therapies in the first line treatment of cancer patients. It minimizes the line of therapies and enable fast cure for patients. Consequently, ADCs are gaining traction in the pharmaceutical industry with a flurry of merger and acquisitions. In the meantime, the shortcoming of the first-generation ADCs has emerged providing opportunities for smaller companies to develop best-in-class ADCs on low risk proven targets. This review hopefully will stimulate ideas in creating the next generation of ADCs/RDCs.