Pembrolizumab

Pembrolizumab is a monoclonal antibody therapy used in the treatment of cancer. It works by targeting a molecule called Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which is found on the surface of certain cancer cells, and inhibiting its ability to bind with other molecules, including the Programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1). This prevents the cancer cell from growing and dividing, leading to its death. Pembrolizumab is used to treat many types of cancer, including melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and bladder cancer, and is usually prescribed after other treatments have not been successful. It is also used in combination with other drugs as part of a ‘cocktail’ approach to cancer treatment. Pembrolizumab is a promising and powerful therapeutic agent that is expected to greatly improve the survival rate of cancer patients, and has been approved for use in many countries.