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Drug

Pembrolizumab

Approved · FDA / EMA
ClassProgrammed cell death protein 1 inhibitorExtensively researchedLate-stage developmentCooling momentum

Also known as Keytruda, Keytruda Qlex, Lambrolizumab.

119
Research papers
91
Active clinical trials
Programmed cell death protein 1
Primary target
138
Regulatory events
Latest activity
beta

Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this drug.

Phase I and II Clinical Studies of the STING Agonist Ulevostinag with and without Pembrolizumab in Participants with Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors or Lymphomas.

Research2025-08-01Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research

Profile

Identifiers & mechanism

Canonical identifiers, marketed brand names and mechanism, resolved across RxNorm, ChEMBL and ATC.

Canonical name
Pembrolizumab
Aliases & brands
KeytrudaKeytruda QlexLambrolizumab
RxNorm CUI
1547545
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL3137343
ATC codes
L01FF02
UNII
DPT0O3T46P
Primary mechanism
Programmed cell death protein 1 inhibitor
Regulatory jurisdictions
emafda

Pharmacology & targets

1 target

Known molecular targets and mechanisms supported by curated pharmacology databases.

INHIBITORProgrammed cell death protein 1 inhibitor

Regulatory timeline

138 events

The complete regulatory record, grouped by authority — approvals, safety advisories and label changes. Each authority shows its most recent events; expand one to read its full history.

Approval / market entry confirmed across FDA and EMA (2014-09-042016-08-05)
Earliest approval
2014-09-04
Latest approval
2026-07-10
Authorities
FDA · EMA
Total events
138
fdaU.S. Food and Drug Administration· 137 events
2026-07-10Indication expansion
Indication expansion: PEMBROLIZUMAB (BLA125514)
Evidence ↗
2026-07-10Indication expansion
Indication expansion: PEMBROLIZUMAB AND BERAHYALURONIDASE ALFA-PMPH (BLA761467)
Evidence ↗
2026-06-24Indication expansion
Indication expansion: PEMBROLIZUMAB (BLA125514)
Evidence ↗
emaEuropean Medicines Agency· 1 event
2015-07-17ApprovalMulti-authority
Approval: Keytruda (EMA)
Indication: Melanoma Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma.Show full indication

Melanoma Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with Stage IIB, IIC, or with Stage III melanoma and lymph node involvement who have undergone complete resection. Non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) Keytruda, in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of resectable non small cell lung carcinoma at high risk of recurrence in adults Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with non-small cell lung carcinoma who are at high risk of recurrence following complete resection and platinum based chemotherapy (for selection criteria, see section 5.1). Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ≥ 50% tumour proportion score (TPS) with no EGFR or ALK positive tumour mutations. Keytruda, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of metastatic non squamous non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours have no EGFR or ALK positive mutations. Keytruda, in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or nab paclitaxel, is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic squamous non small cell lung carcinoma in adults. Keytruda  as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ≥ 1% TPS and who have received at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. Patients with EGFR or ALK positive tumour mutations should also have received targeted therapy before receiving KEYTRUDA. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) Keytruda, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adults with unresectable non-epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma. Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients aged 3 years and older with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma who have failed autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT is not a treatment option. Urothelial carcinoma Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued after radical cystectomy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of adults with resectable muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for cisplatin‑containing chemotherapy. Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults who have received prior platinum containing chemotherapy.Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults who are not eligible for cisplatin containing chemotherapy and whose tumours express PD L1 with a combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 10. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as neoadjuvant treatment, continued as adjuvant treatment in combination with radiation therapy with or without concomitant cisplatin and then as monotherapy in adults whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda, as monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5 fluorouracil (5 FU) chemotherapy, is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ? 50% TPS and progressing on or after platinum containing chemotherapy. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) Keytruda, in combination with axitinib, is indicated for the first line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Keytruda, in combination with lenvatinib, is indicated for the first line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with renal cell carcinoma at increased risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection of metastatic lesions (for selection criteria, please see section 5.1). Microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) cancers Colorectal cancer (CRC)Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for theadults with MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer in the following settings: first line treatment of metastatic microsatellite instability high (MSI H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer in adults; treatment of unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer after previous fluoropyrimidine based combination therapy.  Non-colorectal cancersKeytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of the following MSI H or dMMR tumours in adults with: advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma, who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation; unresectable or metastatic gastric, small intestine, or biliary cancer, who have disease progression on or following at least one prior therapy. Oesophageal carcinoma Keytruda, in combination with platinum and fluoropyrimidine based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic carcinoma of the oesophagus in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 10. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery, is indicated for the treatment of adults with locally advanced, or early stage triple negative breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 10 and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Endometrial carcinoma (EC) Keytruda, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, is indicated for the first-line treatment of primary advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.  Keytruda, in combination with lenvatinib, is indicated for the treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. Cervical cancer Keytruda, in combination with chemoradiotherapy (external beam radiation therapy followed by brachytherapy), is indicated for the treatment of FIGO 2014 Stage III - IVA locally advanced cervical cancer in adults who have not received prior definitive therapy.  Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma Keytruda, in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda, in combination with fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1 (see section 5.1). Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) Keytruda, in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract carcinoma in adults. Ovarian Cancer Keytruda, in combination with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of platinum‑resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD‑L1 with a CPS ≥ 1 and who have received one or two prior systemic treatment regimens.

Evidence ↗

Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), public domain (CC0).

Contains information from the European Medicines Agency (European Medicines Agency), © EMA, reused under CC BY 4.0.

Clinical trials

200 trials

The current development programme across all trial phases — status mix, phase distribution and the late-stage studies shaping the evidence base.

Development programme
CLINICALTRIALS.GOV · LIVE REGISTRY
200
registered trials across all phases
LATEST COMPLETION 2026
91
Active studies
47
Recruiting
39
Late-stage (III+)
58
Completed
51
Discontinued
PHASE DISTRIBUTIONn = 200
Early Phase 11Phase 147Phase 1 / 227Phase 286Phase 2 / 36Phase 327Phase 42Phase N / A4

Late-stage studies

Phase III+ trials still open or recently active — where late-stage evidence is being generated.

Recent completions

Trials that read out recently, adding to the completed evidence base.

Research activity

119 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this drug, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time
20132026
Most influential

Pembrolizumab for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2015 · 4,857 cites

Pembrolizumab versus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2015 · 4,468 cites

IFN-γ-related mRNA profile predicts clinical response to PD-1 blockade.

The Journal of clinical investigation · 2017 · 2,936 cites

Pembrolizumab as Second-Line Therapy for Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2017 · 2,620 cites

Safety and tumor responses with lambrolizumab (anti-PD-1) in melanoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2013 · 2,609 cites

Mutations Associated with Acquired Resistance to PD-1 Blockade in Melanoma.

The New England journal of medicine · 2016 · 2,562 cites
Recent papers
Major research themes8
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized16Lung Neoplasms15Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung14Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols11Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant7Microsatellite Instability5Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological4Carcinoma, Transitional Cell4
Journals, researchers & institutions
Top journals
  • Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology29
  • The New England journal of medicine22
  • The Lancet. Oncology7
  • Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research6
  • JAMA oncology5
  • Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology4
Leading researchers
  • Saraf S11
  • Ribas A9
  • Piha-Paul SA8
  • Elez E7
  • Geva R7
  • Gupta S7
  • Ott PA7
  • Perini RF7
Leading institutions
free-text, unnormalised
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute18
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center12
  • University of California11
  • National Cancer Center Hospital East8
  • Yonsei Cancer Center8
  • Fox Chase Cancer Center7

Related diseases

12 conditions

Regulator-approved indications and conditions co-mentioned with this drug across the research literature. Number shows shared papers.

Related drugs

8 matches

Drugs sharing diseases, protein targets and literature with this one. Ranked by graph evidence (shared targets + diseases weighted above co-mentions).

Studied across 18 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

18 shared diseases5 shared papers

Studied across 16 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

16 shared diseases4 shared papers

Studied across 16 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

16 shared diseases3 shared papers

Studied across 18 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

18 shared diseases2 shared papers

Studied across 17 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

17 shared diseases2 shared papers

Studied across 15 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

15 shared diseases2 shared papers

Studied across 11 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

11 shared diseases3 shared papers

Studied across 10 of the same disease areas as Pembrolizumab in the shared literature.

10 shared diseases2 shared papers
References & data sources
  • RxNorm (U.S. National Library of Medicine) — drug identity
  • ChEMBL (EMBL-EBI) & UniProt — pharmacology and targets
  • Europe PMC — research literature
  • ClinicalTrials.gov — clinical trials
  • Regulatory event sources are credited in the Regulatory Timeline above.