Overview

Keytruda is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in combination with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, to treat adults with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) with a combined positive score (CPS) of 1 or higher, and who have received one or two prior systemic treatment regimens. Eligibility requires confirmation of PD-L1 expression by an FDA-approved test and a history of prior systemic treatments. Keytruda is also known by its drug name, pembrolizumab.

Keytruda belongs to a class of drugs called PD-1 blocking antibodies (a type of immunotherapy). Scientists believe it works by blocking the PD-1 pathway, helping the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.

How do I take it?

Prescribing information states that Keytruda is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion, typically every three or six weeks, depending on your doctor’s instructions. It is used together with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Keytruda should be administered exactly as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Side effects

Common side effects of Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy and/or bevacizumab include peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage causing tingling or numbness), alopecia (hair loss), anemia (low red blood cell count), fatigue or asthenia (weakness), nausea, neutropenia (low neutrophil count), diarrhea, hypertension (high blood pressure), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), constipation, arthralgia (joint pain), vomiting, urinary tract infection, rash, leukopenia (low white blood cell count), hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), decreased appetite, pyrexia (fever), epistaxis (nosebleed), decreased white blood cell count, and stomatitis (mouth sores).

Rare but serious side effects may include immune-mediated adverse reactions (severe immune system reactions affecting organs such as the lungs, liver, kidneys, endocrine glands, or skin), infusion-related reactions (allergic reactions during or after infusion), complications following bone marrow transplantation (such as graft-versus-host disease), embryo-fetal toxicity (potential harm to an unborn baby), and solid organ transplant rejection. Some immune-mediated reactions can be severe or life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

For more information about this treatment, visit:

Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) Injection, for Intravenous Use — Merck, Sharp & Dohme