
Pembrolizumab
Pembrolizumab is an anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-1, a checkpoint inhibitor control. PD-1 is a negative regulator of T-cell activation and proliferation, meaning PD-1 engagement will turn the immune response off, essentially acting as a brake.
It is approved for the treatment of:
- Stage IIB, IIC, and III melanoma
- Advanced melanoma
- Advanced non-small cell lung cancer
- Advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma
- Head and neck squamous cell cancer
- Relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma
- Refractory primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
- Advanced Merkel cell carcinoma
- Metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) solid tumors
- Advanced renal cell carcinoma
- MSI-H, dMMR or advanced endometrial carcinoma
- Advanced tumor mutational burden-high solid tumors
- Advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
- Triple-negative breast cancer
- Urothelial cancer
- MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer
- Gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma
- Advanced esophageal cancer
- Advanced cervical cancer
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Advanced biliary tract cancer