User:Mr. Ibrahem/Pembrolizumab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pembrolizumab (formerly lambrolizumab, brand name Keytruda) is a medication used in cancer immunotherapy.[3] This includes to treat melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, cervical cancer, and stomach cancer.[3] It is given by slow injection into a vein.[3]
Monoclonal antibody | |
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Type | Whole antibody |
Source | Humanized (from mouse) |
Target | PD-1 |
Clinical data | |
Trade names | Keytruda |
Other names | MK-3475, lambrolizumab |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a614048 |
License data |
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Pregnancy category |
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Routes of administration | IV |
Drug class | Antineoplastic agents |
Legal status | |
Legal status | |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C6534H10004N1716O2036S46 |
Molar mass | 146648.64 g·mol−1 |
Common side effects include tiredness, musculoskeletal pain, decreased appetite, itchy skin, diarrhea, nausea, rash, fever, cough, difficulty breathing, constipation, and abdominal pain.[3] Other side effects include liver problems and kidney problems.[3] Use during pregnancy or breastfeeding is not recommended.[4] It is an IgG4 isotype humanized antibody that blocks a protective mechanism of cancer cells and thereby, allows the immune system to destroy them.[3] It targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor of lymphocytes.[3]
Pembrolizumab was approved for medical use in the United States in 2014.[3] In 2017, it was approved for any non removable or metastatic solid tumor with certain genetic anomalies (mismatch repair deficiency or microsatellite instability).[5] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines as an alternative for nivolumab.[6] In the United Kingdom the typical dose costs 5,260 pounds every three weeks as of 2020.[7] In the United States this amount costs 8,760 USD.[8]