Initial US Approval

  • 2014 (2017 for MMI/MSI-H)1

Indications

  • The treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) solid tumors as determined by an FDA-approved test who have experienced progression following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. (Abbreviated indication, see full prescribing information for additional information)

Recommended Dose/Route

  • Given as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes1:
    • Adults: Pembrolizumab, 200 mg, every 3 weeks
    • Pediatrics: Pembrolizumab, 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg), every 3 weeks

Dose Reductions for Adverse Reactions

  • No dose reductions are recommended. Withhold or discontinue pembrolizumab to manage adverse reactions.1

Pivotal Studies

  • Five uncontrolled, open-label, multicohort, multicenter, single-arm trials: KEYNOTE-016 (NCT01876511); KEYNOTE-164 (NCT02460198); KEYNOTE-012 (NCT01848834); KEYNOTE-028 (NCT02054806); KEYNOTE-158 (NCT02628067)2-6
  • Key Inclusion Criteria: 149 patients with MSI-H or MMR deficient solid tumors.1
  • Treatment: Pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Treatment continued until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression that was either symptomatic, rapidly progressive, required urgent intervention, or occurred with a decline in performance status. A maximum of 24 months of treatment with pembrolizumab was administered.1
Pembrolizumab: Efficacy Data

Pembrolizumab: Efficacy Data

Safety

  • The most common adverse reactions or laboratory abnormalities leading to interruption were neutropenia (13%), asthenia/fatigue (7%), anemia (7%), thrombocytopenia (5%), diarrhea (4%), pneumonia (4%), increased blood creatinine (3%), dyspnea (2%), febrile neutropenia (2%), upper respiratory tract infection (2%), increased ALT (2%), and pyrexia (2%).1

References

  1. KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab). Prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc.; December 2018. https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/k/keytruda/keytruda_pi.pdf
  2. Le DT, Uram JN, Wang H, et al. PD-1 blockade in tumors with mismatch-repair deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2015; 372(26):2509–2520. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1500596
  3. Le DT, Kim TW, Van Cutsem E, et al. Phase II open-label study of pembrolizumab in treatment-refractory, microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient metastatic colorectal cancer: KEYNOTE-164. J Clin Oncol. 2020; 38(1):11–19. doi:10.1200/JCO.19.02107
  4. Muro K, Chung HC, Shankaran V, et al. Pembrolizumab for patients with PD-L1-positive advanced gastric cancer (KEYNOTE-012): a multicentre, open-label, phase 1b trial. Lancet Oncol. 2016; 17(6):717–726. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(16)00175-3
  5. Ott PA, Bang YJ, Berton-Rigaud D, et al. Safety and antitumor activity of pembrolizumab in advanced programmed death ligand 1-positive endometrial cancer: results from the KEYNOTE-028 study. J Clin Oncol. 2017; 35(22):2535–2541. doi:10.1200/JCO.2017.72.5952
  6. Marabelle A, Le DT, Ascierto PA, et al. Efficacy of pembrolizumab in patients with noncolorectal high microsatellite instability/mismatch repair-deficient cancer: results from the phase II KEYNOTE-158 study. J Clin Oncol. 2020; 38(1):1–10. doi:10.1200/JCO.19.02105