maytansinoid dm4

**Maytansinoid DM4** is a semi-synthetic chemical derivative of maytansine, designed as a potent and selective cytotoxic agent for use primarily as the payload in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)[1][2][5]. DM4 (also known as ravtansine or soravtansine) acts by binding to microtubules, inhibiting tubulin polymerization and thereby suppressing microtubule dynamic instability, which inhibits cell division and induces apoptosis in proliferating cells[2][3][5]. As an ADC payload, DM4 is typically covalently linked to a monoclonal antibody via a cleavable disulfide linker, allowing targeted delivery to tumor cells via the antibody's specificity (e.g., to antigens such as FOLR1, CD37, CD56, CD19, CD138, Mesothelin, CA6, CEACAM5)[5][3]. DM4’s primary clinical use is as a component of several investigational and approved ADCs for cancer, including mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere, for FRα-positive ovarian cancer), indatuximab ravtansine (for multiple myeloma), anetumab ravtansine (for mesothelioma), SAR408701/tusamitamab ravtansine (for NSCLC), etc.[5][3][4]. DM4 is not used as a standalone drug due to its high cytotoxicity and lack of tumor specificity without an ADC.

Other names

DM4DM-4DM 4ravtansinesoravtansinemaytansinoid dm4