Pembrolizumab
This page contains brief information about pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and a collection of links to more information about the use of this drug, research results, and ongoing clinical trials.
FDA label information for this drug is available at DailyMed.
Use in Cancer
Pembrolizumab is approved to treat:
- Cervical cancer that is recurrent or metastatic. It is used in patients whose cancer has the PD-L1 protein and whose disease got worse during or after chemotherapy.
- Gastric (stomach) cancer or gastroesophageal junction cancer that is recurrent and locally advanced or metastatic. It is used in patients whose cancer has the PD-L1 protein and whose disease got worse during or after two or more types of treatment including a fluoropyrimidine and platinum chemotherapy and, in some cases, HER2/neu targeted therapy.
- Hodgkin lymphoma in adults and children. It is used in patients whose disease is refractory (does not respond to treatment) or has relapsed after at least three other types of treatment.
- Melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery or that has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body).
- Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) cancer that is metastatic and cannot be removed by surgery. It is used in adults and children for:
- Solid tumors that have gotten worse after other treatment or that cannot be treated with other therapies.
- Colorectal cancer that has gotten worse after treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.
MSI-H and dMMR cancers have certain genetic mutations and may not respond to some types of treatment.
- Non-small cell lung cancer that has metastasized. It is used:
- With pemetrexed and carboplatin as first-line treatment in patients with nonsquamous disease.
- Alone as first-line treatment in patients whose cancer has the PD-L1 protein and does not have a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene.
- Alone in patients whose cancer has the PD-L1 protein and got worse during or after treatment with platinum chemotherapy. Patients whose cancer has EGFR or ALK gene mutations should receive pembrolizumab only if their disease got worse after treatment with an FDA-approved therapy for these mutations.
- Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. It is used in adults and children whose disease is refractory or has relapsed after at least two other therapies.
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that has metastasized or recurred (come back) in patients whose disease got worse during or after treatment with platinum chemotherapy.
- Urothelial carcinoma (a type of bladder cancer) that is locally advanced or has metastasized. It is used in:
Pembrolizumab is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.
More About Pembrolizumab
Definition from the NCI Drug Dictionary - Detailed scientific definition and other names for this drug.
MedlinePlus Information on Pembrolizumab - A lay language summary of important information about this drug that may include the following:
- warnings about this drug,
- what this drug is used for and how it is used,
- what you should tell your doctor before using this drug,
- what you should know about this drug before using it,
- other drugs that may interact with this drug, and
- possible side effects.
Drugs are often studied to find out if they can help treat or prevent conditions other than the ones they are approved for. This patient information sheet applies only to approved uses of the drug. However, much of the information may also apply to unapproved uses that are being studied.
Research Results and Related Resources
Can Age Affect Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?
Immunotherapy Drugs Expand Treatment Options for Advanced Lung Cancer
For Rare Melanoma, Checkpoint Inhibitors May Hold Substantial Promise
Pembrolizumab Secures FDA Approval in Stomach Cancer
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Tumors with Specific Genetic Features
FDA Expands Approval of Pembrolizumab for First-Line Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab for Hodgkin Lymphoma
Pembrolizumab Shows Promise in Patients with Rare Form of Skin Cancer
Lung Cancer Precision Medicine Trials: Adapting to Progress
Pembrolizumab Improves Progression-Free Survival in Patients with Ipilimumab-Resistant Melanoma
The Playing Field for Cancer Checkpoint Inhibitors Is Expanding
Pembrolizumab Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Advanced Melanoma
Trial Yields Positive Data on Pembrolizumab for Lung Cancer, Potential Response Biomarker
New Therapies Are Changing the Outlook for Advanced Melanoma
Clinical Trials Accepting Patients
Find Clinical Trials for Pembrolizumab - Check for trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials now accepting patients.