Pembrolizumab 100mg/50ml in Sodium chloride 0.9% infusion bags
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Pembrolizumab is a highly selective IgG4-kappa humanized monoclonal antibody against PD-1 receptors.
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Pembrolizumab
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Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Pembrolizumab
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EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
1 branded products available
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and NHS BNF section grouping. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Clinical guidelines and formulary information
British National Formulary
Pembrolizumab
Source: British National Formulary, NICE. Joint Formulary Committee. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
NICE clinical guidance(15)
Pembrolizumab for advanced melanoma not previously treated with ipilimumab (TA366)
Pembrolizumab for adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma (TA830)
Pembrolizumab for treating advanced melanoma after disease progression with ipilimumab (TA357)
Pembrolizumab for adjuvant treatment of completely resected stage 3 melanoma (TA766)
Pembrolizumab for treating relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (TA540)
Pembrolizumab with axitinib for untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (TA650)
Pembrolizumab for adjuvant treatment of resected stage 2B or 2C melanoma (TA837)
Lenvatinib with pembrolizumab for untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (TA858)
Pembrolizumab for untreated metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (TA661)
Pembrolizumab with lenvatinib for previously treated advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (TA904)
Pembrolizumab with carboplatin and paclitaxel for untreated primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (TA1092)
Pembrolizumab for untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (TA531)
Pembrolizumab for treating locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma after platinum-containing chemotherapy (TA692)
Pembrolizumab for adjuvant treatment of resected non-small-cell lung cancer (TA1037)
Pembrolizumab for treating relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma in people 3 years and over (TA967)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
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Supply & product information
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF codes from NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
22 days
Mechanism
Pembrolizumab binds with high affinity to the cell surface receptor programmed c…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
2 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
16 weeks
Half-life
22 days
[L38934]
Protein binding
[A18829]
Volume of distribution
[L38934]
Metabolism
[A18829]
Clearance
195 mL
[L38934]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
In the time since its initial approval, pembrolizumab has been granted approval in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers.[L38934][L43257] In September 2025, the US FDA approved a formulation of pembrolizumab that includes [berahyaluronidase alfa] (Keytruda QLEX) to allow for subcutaneous administration.[L54026]
### Melanoma
- for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma (adult patients in the US[L38934] and patients ≥12 years old in the EU)[L43488]
- for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with Stage IIB, IIC, or III melanoma following complete resection
### Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
- in combination with [pemetrexed] and platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC with no EGFR or ALK mutations
- in combination with [carboplatin] and [paclitaxel] as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC
- as a monotherapy for the first-line treatment of NSCLC expressing PD-L1 with no EGFR or ALK mutations in patients with metastatic disease or stage III disease who are not candidates for surgery or chemoradiation
- as a monotherapy for the treatment of NSCLC expressing PD-L1 with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy - this includes patients with EGFR or ALK mutations, providing they have experienced disease progression on prior FDA-approved therapy for these aberrations
- in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with resectable (tumors ≥4 cm or node positive) NSCLC as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery
- as a monotherapy for adjuvant treatment following resection and platinum-based chemotherapy for adult patients with stage IB, II, or IIIA NSCLC
### Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM)
- in combination with pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic MPM
### Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer (HNSCC)
- as a monotherapy in adult patients with resectable locally advanced HNSCC, first as neoadjuvant treatment, then continued as adjuvant treatment in combination with radiotherapy with or without cisplatin, and then again as a single agent
- in combination with [fluorouracil] and platinum-based chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic or recurrent, unresectable HNSCC
- as a monotherapy for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or recurrent, unresectable HNSCC expressing PD-L1
- as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with metastatic or recurrent HNSCC with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy
### Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL)
- for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory cHL
- for the treatment of pediatric patients with refractory cHL, or cHL that has relapsed following ≥2 lines of therapy
### Primary Mediastinal Large B-cell Lymphoma (PMBCL)
- for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with refractory PMBCL, or PMBCL that has relapsed following ≥2 lines of therapy
### Urothelial Cancer
- for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in patients ineligible for platinum-based chemotherapy
- for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in patients who have disease progression during or following platinum-based chemotherapy or within 12 months of adjuvant/neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy
- for the treatment of [BCG vaccine]-unresponsive, high-risk, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary tumors, who are not candidates for cystectomy
- for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in combination with [enfortumab vedotin] in adult patients
- in combination with enfortumab vedotin, as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued after cystectomy as adjuvant treatment of adult patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for [cisplatin]-containing chemotherapy
### Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) or Mismatch Repair Deficient Cancer (dMMR)
- as a last-line therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic MSI-H or dMMR solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment
- for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer
### Gastric Cancer
- in combination with [trastuzumab], fluoropyrimidine-, and platinum-containing chemotherapy, as a first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma whose tumors express PD -L1 (CPS ≥1) as determined by an FDA-approved test
- in combination with fluoropyrimidine - and platinum-containing chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adults with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma
### Esophageal Cancer
- in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal or GEJ carcinoma who are not candidates for surgery or definitive chemoradiation
- as a monotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic esophageal or GEJ carcinoma expressing PD-L1 in patients who are not candidates for surgery or definitive chemoradiation
### Cervical Cancer
- in combination with other chemotherapies, with or without [bevacizumab], for the treatment of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer expressing PD-L1
- as a monotherapy for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer expressing PD-L1 in patients who have experienced disease progression on or after previous chemotherapy
- in combination with chemoradiotherapy for the treatment of patients with FIGO 2014 Stage III-IVA locally advanced cervical cancer involving the lower third of the vagina, with or without extension to pelvic side wall, or hydronephrosis/non-functioning kidney, or spread to adjacent pelvic organs
### Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
- as a monotherapy for the treatment of HCC secondary to hepatitis B who have received prior systemic therapy other than a PD-1/PD-L1-containing regimen
### Biliary Tract Cancer (BTC)
- in combination with [gemcitabine] and [cisplatin] for the treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer
### Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC)
- for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic MCC
### Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
- in combination with either [axitinib] or [lenvatinib] as a first-line treatment for adult patients with advanced RCC
- for the adjuvant treatment of patients with RCC who are at an intermediate-high or high risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection of metastatic lesions
### Endometrial Carcinoma
- in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by pembrolizumab as a single agent, for the t reatment of adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma
- in combination with lenvatinib for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is not MSI-H or dMMR who experience disease progression following prior systemic therapy and who are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy
- as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is MSI-H or dMMR who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation
### Tumor Mutational Burden-High (TMB-H) Cancer
- as a last-line therapy for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic TMB-H solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment
### Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC)
- for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic sCC, or locally advanced sCC that is not curable with surgery or radiation therapy
### Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)
- for the treatment of patients with high-risk early-stage TNBC, in combination with chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant treatment followed by continued use as a single adjuvant agent following surgery
- in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic TNBC expressing PD-L1
For all approved adult indications, pembrolizumab may be used for an additional 6 weeks at 400mg weekly.
[L38934]
The subcutaneous formulation of pembrolizumab (Keytruda QLEX) is indicated across most solid tumor indications for the intravenous formulation.
[L54021]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 417 interactions
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.[L38934]
Pembrolizumab can cause immune-mediated adverse reactions - including hepatitis, nephritis, and pneumonitis - in any organ system or tissue. Careful monitoring of the patient (including laboratory evaluation of liver, kidney, and thyroid function) should occur at baseline and periodically throughout therapy to monitor for emerging immune-mediated reactions.[L38934]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L38934]
Following subcutaneous administration (alongside [berahyaluronidase alfa], the bioavailability of pembrolizumab is approximately 61%[A274411] and peak concentrations are reached within approximately 4 days.
[L54021]
[L38934]
[A18829]
[L38934]
[A18829]
[L38934]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:21276005 PMID:37208329
Delivers inhibitory signals upon binding to ligands CD274/PDCD1L1 and CD273/PDCD1LG2 .
PMID:21276005
Following T-cell receptor (TCR) engagement, PDCD1 associates with CD3-TCR in the immunological synapse and directly inhibits T-cell activation (By similarity). Suppresses T-cell activation through the recruitment of PTPN11/SHP-2: following ligand-binding, PDCD1 is phosphorylated within the ITSM motif, leading to the recruitment of the protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPN11/SHP-2 that mediates dephosphorylation of key TCR proximal signaling molecules, such as ZAP70, PRKCQ/PKCtheta and CD247/CD3zeta (By similarity)
PMID:11015443 PMID:28813410 PMID:28813417 PMID:31399419
As a ligand for the inhibitory receptor PDCD1/PD-1, modulates the activation threshold of T-cells and limits T-cell effector response .
PMID:11015443 PMID:28813410 PMID:28813417 PMID:36727298
Through a yet unknown activating receptor, may costimulate T-cell subsets that predominantly produce interleukin-10 (IL10) .
PMID:10581077
Can also act as a transcription coactivator: in response to hypoxia, translocates into the nucleus via its interaction with phosphorylated STAT3 and promotes transcription of GSDMC, leading to pyroptosis PMID:32929201
ATC L01FF02
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Pembrolizumab
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
22604
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:8760
GenAtlas
PDCD1
GeneCards
PDCD1
GenBank Gene Database
L27440
Guide to Pharmacology
2760
UniProt Accession
PDCD1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:17635
GenAtlas
CD274
GeneCards
CD274
GenBank Gene Database
BC113736
UniProt Accession
PD1L1_HUMAN
Patent information
1 active patent
Source: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0. Patent data sourced from national patent offices. Expiry dates may not reflect extensions, regulatory exclusivity periods, or legal challenges.
DrugBank citations
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