Description
Pembrolizumab is a type of targeted therapy drug called an immune checkpoint inhibitor (a type of immunotherapy). It is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the protein PD-1 on the surface of immune cells called T cells. It works by keeping cancer cells from suppressing the immune system. This allows the immune system to attack and kill the cancer cells.
Pembrolizumab is approved to treat:
- Biliary tract cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Classic Hodgkin lymphoma
- Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
- Endometrial carcinoma
- Esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer
- Gastric (stomach) cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Melanoma.
- Merkel cell carcinoma
- Microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) cancer
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Solid tumors
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
- Urothelial carcinoma
