What are the side effects of Pembrolizumab?

Pembrolizumab, branded as Keytruda, is a humanized antibody used for cancer immunotherapy. It is used to treat melanoma, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, cervical cancer and certain types of breast cancer. Pembrolizumab is an antibody of the IgG4 isotype that blocks the protective mechanisms of cancer cells, allowing the immune system to destroy them. It targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor on lymphocytes.

Pembrolizumab was approved for medical use in the United States in 2014 and is administered by slow intravenous injection. Common side effects include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, decreased appetite, itchy skin (itching), diarrhea, nausea, rash, fever, cough, difficulty breathing, constipation, pain, and abdominal pain. People have experienced serious infusion-related reactions to pembrolizumab, as well as serious immune-related side effects, including inflammation of the lungs and endocrine organs, leading to inflammation of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland (hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism), and pancreatitis, leading to type 1 diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis, which has forced some people to undergo lifelong hormone therapy (insulin therapy or thyroid hormones).

PembrolizumabThe original drug is already on the market in China. SpecificationsThe price per box of 100mg/4ml may be around RMB 15,000. This drug is a strictly controlled drug and has not yet been included in medical insurance. Pembrolizumab The price of the European version of the original drug 100mg/4ml per box may be around RMB 25,000, and the price of the Turkish version of 100mg/4ml per box may be around 10,000 RMB (the price may fluctuate due to the exchange rate). The ingredients of the original drugs at home and abroad are basically the same, and they are expensive. There are currently no generic versions of Pembrolizumab available overseas.