keytruda FAQ

Allergies to Ingredients. People who are allergic to any of the following should not use Keytruda.

That depends on several factors. The effectiveness of Keytruda varies based on the type and stage of your cancer, your age, and your overall health. In clinical trials, Keytruda was shown to be an effective treatment for many different types of cancer. During these studies, people receiving Keytruda lived several months longer than people taking either other cancer treatments or a placebo (treatment with no active ingredient). Talk with your doctor about what to expect with Keytruda. You can also visit this website to learn more about the results of Keytruda’s clinical trials and the drug’s effectiveness.

For more information about Keytruda, you can visit the drugmaker’s website at www.keytruda.com or call them at 855-398-7832.

Immunotherapy drugs, such as Keytruda, work by helping your immune system fight diseases. This includes diseases such as cancer. Immunotherapy drugs may do this by boosting your immune system so that it recognizes and attacks cancer cells. The drugs may also work by increasing the level of immune system proteins in your body. Immunotherapy drugs are a type of targeted treatment. They’re often designed to target (work on) certain types of cancers with very specific gene mutations (abnormal changes). This makes immunotherapy drugs more selective in how they work. On the other hand, chemotherapy (traditional drugs used to treat cancer) works by stopping cells in your body from dividing. (Cells that are dividing are making more cells.) However, chemotherapy drugs aren’t made to target only cells with specific gene mutations. Instead, chemotherapy works on most of the quickly dividing cells in your body. This includes both cancer cells and some healthy cells. This means chemotherapy doesn’t just work on cancer cells. Depending on your cancer type, your doctor may prescribe Keytruda in combination with chemotherapy or other cancer medications. This is because the combination treatment, in general, is more effective than the individual treatments alone.

While less common, the most serious side effects of Keytruda are described below, along with what to do if they happen. Severe Allergic Reactions. Keytruda may cause allergic reactions, which can be serious. Stop using Keytruda and get help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction.

Keytruda is usually given by a health care provider in a hospital or clinic. You will not store it at home.

The most common side effects of Keytruda are listed below. Side effects may vary based on what condition is being treated, what other medicines you are taking or using, and your age. Tell your health care provider if you have any of these side effects that bother you.

Tell your health care provider about all of your health conditions and any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using. This will help them know if Keytruda is right for you. In particular, make sure that you discuss any of the following. Current and Past Health Conditions. Tell your health care provider if you have any of the following.

There are no known interactions between Keytruda and other medicines. Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using.

Keytruda is a type of medicine called immunotherapy. Immunotherapy works by turning on the body’s own immune system so it can attack cancer cells.

If you or someone else has used too much Keytruda, get medical help right away, call 911, or contact a Poison Control center at 800-222-1222.

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is commonly used to treat certain types of the following types of cancers.

Keytruda stays in your system for up to 4 months after your last dose. Keytruda has a half-life of 22 days. This means it takes 22 days for your body to clear half a dose of Keytruda. Due to the long-acting effects of Keytruda, there are certain precautions to keep in mind after treatment ends. For example, if you can become pregnant, it’s recommended to use birth control for 4 months after your last dose. It’s also recommended to avoid breastfeeding for 4 months after your last dose. (For more information about this, see the “Things to consider when receiving Keytruda” section.) If you have questions about what to expect after stopping Keytruda, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Keytruda is not known to interact with other medications, herbs, supplements, foods, or alcohol. The manufacturer did not list any interactions in Keytruda’s prescribing information. However, this doesn’t mean that interactions won’t be recognized in the future. For example, new drugs could be approved that interact with Keytruda. Before starting Keytruda treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also, tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you take. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions with Keytruda. If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. If you can become pregnant, consider the following information about pregnancy, fertility, birth control, and breastfeeding.

There are no known interactions between Keytruda and foods or drinks. It is unknown if drinking alcohol will affect Keytruda, but heavy drinking can slow your immune response and make it harder for your body to fight cancer.

Keytruda will be given to you by a health care provider through an intravenous (IV) line that goes into your vein in a hospital, clinic, or infusion center. They will store and prepare the medicine for your dose. Your health care provider will tell you how many treatments you will need. Keep all appointments to check your blood work so that your health care provider can check for side effects.

Keytruda belongs to a group of drugs called programmed death receptor-1 inhibitors. It’s also a type of immunotherapy. This means that it helps your immune system attack cancer cells. To learn about Keytruda’s mechanism of action, see this article about how Keytruda works.

Keytruda is usually given by a health care provider in a hospital or clinic. Your health care provider will make sure you are receiving Keytruda as scheduled. If you miss an appointment to get your Keytruda dose, call to make another appointment as soon as possible.

The FDA approved Keytruda Qlex for NSCLC based on a study involving 377 patients with advanced NSCLC. People in this study received either Keytruda Qlex plus chemotherapy or IV Keytruda plus chemotherapy. People who received Keytruda Qlex showed similar results to those who got the IV Keytruda (45% and 42% responders, respectively). There were also no major differences in how long people stayed cancer-free and their overall survival were seen between the two groups.

The FDA approved Keytruda for NSCLC based on several clinical trials. Keytruda was studied in people whose NSCLC had spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) and who had received no prior treatment for their cancer. People in this trial got either Keytruda plus chemotherapy or placebo plus chemotherapy. There were 616 people in this trial. Two-thirds of them were in the Keytruda group, the other third was in the placebo group. This study looked at overall survival (OS), which measured how long people survived after getting their treatment, and progression-free survival (PFS), which looked at how long people lived without their cancer growing. The median age was 64 with ages ranging from 34 to 84. There were more men in the Keytruda group (62%), and most of the people in each group were current or former smokers (88%). Most of the people in the study were White (94%) and 3% were Asian. At one year, the estimated OS was 69.2% for people in the Keytruda group versus 49.4% for the placebo group. This means people in the Keytruda group lived significantly longer. The median PFS in the Keytruda group was 8.8 months as compared to 4.9 months in the placebo group. This means that at least half of the people who received Keytruda had not had their cancer get worse after 8.8 months, compared to 4.9 months who received placebo. Keytruda was also studied in people who had NSCLC that was positive for PDL-1 and progressed after chemotherapy. People in this trial got either Keytruda 2 mg/kg, Keytruda 10 mg/kg, or chemotherapy. There were 1,475 people in this study, and they were evenly distributed between all three groups. The ages for each group ranged from 56 to 69 with 63 as the median age. There were more men in each group than women (about 62%). Most of the people in the study were white (72%) and 21% of people were Asian. This study looked at OS and PFS between all three groups. Median OS was 10.4 months for the Keytruda 2 mg/kg group, 12.7 months for the Keytruda 10 mg/kg group, and 8.5 months for the chemotherapy group. There was no difference in how long it took people's cancer to progress between the three groups. Another study looked at Keytruda in people who had planned surgery for their NSCLC. People in this study received either Keytruda and chemotherapy or placebo and chemotherapy before their surgery, and either Keytruda or placebo alone after their surgery. There were 797 people in this study, and they were split almost evenly between the two study groups. This study included people who had NSCLC and had not received any treatment for their cancer prior to the study. The median age of people in this trial was 64 with ages ranging from 26 to 83. Most of the people in this trial were men (about 70%). Most people were white (61%), 31% were Asian, 2% were Black, 9% were Hispanic or Latino, and for 4% the race was not reported. About 70% of people had stage III NSCLC with the rest being stage II. This study looked at event-free survival, which measures how long people lived without having an event including progression, recurrence (cancer coming back), or death. OS was also measured in this study. The estimated percentages of people alive without an event at 24 months was 62.4% in the Keytruda group and 40.6% in the placebo group. This means that at two years, 62.4% of people who received Keytruda had not had a cancer event, compared to 40.6% in the placebo group. There was no significant difference in OS rates at 24 months found between the Keytruda and placebo groups.

Keytruda can cause harm to a fetus. Your health care provider will discuss options for contraception while you take Keytruda. You should use an effective method of birth control while you are receiving Keytruda and for 4 months after your last dose. If you and your partner are or are planning to become pregnant, talk with your health care provider about your options. Keytruda may pass into your breastmilk if you are breastfeeding. You should not breastfeed while you are getting Keytruda and for 4 months after your last dose. Keytruda can cause very serious side effects. These include lung problems, intestinal problems, liver problems, hormone gland problems, kidney problems, and skin problems. Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. It is important to tell your health care provider as soon as you experience any side effects including chest pain, fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, confusion, double or blurry vision, severe muscle pains, or bruising more easily than usual.