ADH-1

ADH-1 is a small, cyclic pentapeptide vascular-targeting drug developed by Adherex Technologies. It acts as a selective and competitive inhibitor of N-cadherin, a cell-surface transmembrane glycoprotein involved in calcium-mediated cell–cell adhesion and signaling. By blocking N-cadherin, ADH-1 disrupts tumor vasculature, inhibits tumor cell growth, and induces apoptosis in both tumor cells and endothelial cells. This dual mechanism—direct induction of apoptosis in cancer cells and angiolysis (disruption) of tumor blood vessels—makes it a promising agent for the treatment of various invasive carcinomas. ADH-1 has shown synergistic effects with taxane-based chemotherapy in preclinical models for ovarian cancer xenografts and has been investigated clinically for advanced melanoma, adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), and other cancers expressing N-cadherin[3][2][8][5]. The drug was granted orphan drug status by the FDA in 2008[3].

Brand names

Exherin

Other names

ExherinCys-his-ala-val-cys