In vitro Bioassays to Model Complex Cellular Environments for Better Lead Selection

Comparative bioassay profile of Kadcyla® (T-DM1) vs Enhertu® (DS-8201a)

In our latest scientific poster, Abzena put today’s two market-leading HER2 antibody-drug conjugates through an escalating series of in-vitro models—2-D cytotoxicity, live-cell kinetic imaging, 3-D spheroids, mixed HER2⁺/HER2⁻ co-cultures, and immune-competent assays. The study reveals how each ADC’s payload chemistry, linker design and by-stander potential translates into very different killing patterns across tumor architectures that better mimic the clinic.

What you’ll discover inside the poster

• Mode-of-action kinetics: Enhertu triggers earlier apoptosis, while Kadcyla delivers a stronger late-stage kill in uniform HER2-high models.
• Penetration vs. by-stander effect: Kadcyla excels in compact 3-D spheroids; Enhertu’s membrane-permeable payload eradicates adjacent HER2-negative cells in heterogeneous cultures.
• Immune contribution: Adding PBMCs amplifies native profiles—Kadcyla’s ADCC plus payload kill in homogeneous spheroids, Enhertu’s combined ADCC + by-stander activity in mixed tumours.
• >Assay ladder value: Progressing from simple monolayers to immune-competent 3-D systems delivers clinically relevant insight early, guiding faster, data-driven ADC selection.