| Generic name | Pembrolizumab |
| Pronunciation | PEM-broe-LIZ-ue-mab |
| Brand name(s), other common name(s) | Keytruda® |
| Drug type | Anti–PD-1 Immunotherapy |
| How the drug is given | Intravenously (IV) |
Indications and Usage
Pembrolizumab is FDA approved for the treatment of
- Adult patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL)
- Pediatric patients with refractory cHL, or cHL that has relapsed after 2 or more lines of therapy
- Adult and pediatric patients with refractory primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), or who have relapsed after 2 or more prior lines of therapy.
Limitation of Use: Pembrolizumab is not recommended for treatment of patients with PMBCL who require urgent cytoreductive therapy.
This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate and durability of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials.
Side effects needing medical attention
The most common adverse reactions were fatigue, severe itching of the skin (pruritus), diarrhea, decreased appetite, rash, fever, cough, shortness of breath, musculoskeletal pain, constipation, and nausea.
For information on how to manage the costs of drug therapy, please see Financial Support, or to speak with an Information Specialist, call (800) 955-4572.