In March 2017, the FDA approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab), anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma who are not responding to other therapy or whose disease (relapsed) returned after 3 or more therapies. Keytruda was previously approved for several cancers.
“For the patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma who are not cured with existing treatments, there are limited options, and treating their disease becomes more challenging. This approval is an important step forward in treating these patients, who are generally young and have a particularly poor prognosis,” said Craig Moskowitz, MD, Clinical Director, Division of Hematologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City.
In the study that led to this approval, the disease improved in 69% of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, and 22% reached remission. The most common side effects were fatigue, fever, cough, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, rash, and elevated liver enzymes. For more information visit www.keytruda.com.
