Pembrolizumab

Drug

Also known as: Keytruda Qlex, KEYTRUDA QLEX, KEYTRUDA QLEX™

Drug Profile

Keytruda is the brand name for pembrolizumab, a human PD-1 blocking antibody used across a broad range of cancers. It is approved in multiple tumor types and biomarker-defined settings, including melanoma, lung, head and neck, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and urothelial cancers. The FDA first approved Keytruda in 2014.

Drug Class
PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) blocking antibody
Approval Status
FDA approved; first approved September 4, 2014.
Mechanism of Action
Blocks programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) signaling as an immune checkpoint inhibitor.
Brand Names
  • Keytruda
Indications
  • Melanoma
  • \Non-small cell lung cancer\
  • \Head and neck squamous cell cancer\
  • \Hodgkin lymphoma\
  • \Urothelial cancer\
  • \Gastric cancer\
  • \Esophageal cancer\
  • \Cervical cancer\
  • \Hepatocellular carcinoma\
  • \Renal cell carcinoma\
  • \Endometrial carcinoma\
  • \Biliary tract cancer\

Related News

FDA Approvals and Pipeline Expansion Drive Bladder Cancer Therapeutics Market Growth

The bladder cancer therapeutics market is expanding with recent FDA approvals including INLEXZO for NMIBC and a KEYTRUDA-Padvev combination for MIBC, while the NMIBC market reached approximately USD 3 billion in 2025 across seven major markets. Ferring reported record revenues exceeding €2.5 billion in 2025, driven by Adstiladrin as its second major growth driver. A robust pipeline of emerging therapies is expected to further transform the market through 2036.

Multiple Studies Highlight Differing Immunotherapy Outcomes in Advanced NSCLC

Multiple recent studies evaluate different immunotherapy approaches for advanced NSCLC, including long-term benefits for nivolumab plus ipilimumab with chemotherapy in PD-L1-negative tumors, limited advantages from PD-(L)1 rechallenge strategies, and early positive signals from combining TIGIT and PD-1 inhibitors in PD-L1-high patients.

AI and mRNA Cancer Vaccine Shows 49% Reduction in Melanoma Relapse at ASCO 2026

Long-term data from ASCO 2026 shows the personalized cancer vaccine Intismeran Autogene, combined with Keytruda, reduces recurrence or death risk by 49% in high-risk melanoma patients. Developed by MSD and Moderna, the vaccine uses AI to select neoantigens from a patient's tumor and mRNA technology to create a personalized treatment. The results signal a major advance for a field that had struggled for decades, spurring similar development efforts by other companies.

Oncology Drug Market Sees Strong Growth Amid Patent Cliffs and Novel Modality Shifts

Global oncology drug spending is projected to reach $467 billion by 2030, driven by novel modalities like ADCs and bispecifics, but growth will slow due to patent expirations for key drugs like Keytruda and Lynparza. R&D is shifting, with novel modalities accounting for 33% of clinical trials in 2025. The industry is also seeing broader innovation and investment, with new blockbuster contenders emerging across multiple therapeutic areas.

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