Pembrolizumab is a PD-1 blocking antibody used to treat various types of cancer, including metastatic melanoma, non small-cell lung cancer, cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. Pembrolizumab is a highly selective IgG4-kappa humanized monoclonal antibody against PD-1 receptors.
- Mechanism
- Curator reviewed · 2 references
Pembrolizumab binds with high affinity to the cell surface receptor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and antagonizes its interaction with its known ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2. Under normal circumstances, the binding of the ligands of PD-1 to the receptor inhibits the TCR-mediated T-cell proliferation and cytokine production. This inhibitory signal appears to play a role in self-tolerance and collateral damage minimization after immune responses against a pathogen and maternal tolerance to fetal tissue.
The binding of pembrolizumab to PD-1 prevents this inhibitory pathway, causing a physiological shift towards immune reactivity and enhancing tumor immunosurveillance and anti-tumor immune response.
- Primary indication
- Pembrolizumab is indicated for the following conditions: ### Melanoma - for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma (adult patients in the US and patients ≥12 years old in the EU) - for...Curator reviewed · 213 structured indications
- Formula / weight
- C6504H10004N1716O2036S46 · 149000.0 Da
- First approval
- Canada, 2015 · United States, 2014 · European Union, 2016
- Also known as
- Lambrolizumab
- Code names
- ABP 234 · BAT3306 · BCD-201 · GME 751 · H409A11 · Merck 3475 · MK-3475 · QL2107 · RPH-075 · SB-27 · SCH-900475
- Brand names
Resolves to
What you can answer from here — as of July 30, 2026
Which drugs share a target with Pembrolizumab, and which of those have an active Phase 3 trial?
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