Journal
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG METABOLISM & TOXICOLOGY
Volume 12, Issue 10, Pages 1247-1253Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2016.1216976
Keywords
Immune checkpoint; melanoma; pembrolizumab; PD-1
Funding
- Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Institutional Training Research Grant [2T32 CA06039611]
- NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE [T32CA060396] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
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Introduction: Advanced melanoma is a devastating disease that has propelled research in therapeutics beyond chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Being highly immunogenic, melanoma is a model tumor for immunotherapy and has highlighted the therapeutic potential of the immune checkpoint inhibitors.Areas covered: This review discusses the pharmacologic properties, clinical efficacy, and safety profile of pembrolizumab, an IgG4-kappa humanized monoclonal antibody against the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor, for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma.Expert opinion: Pembrolizumab was the first PD-1 inhibitor to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Remarkably, this accelerated approval for the treatment of advanced, heavily pretreated melanoma was based on response rates alone from a phase I trial. As anticipated, pembrolizumab confirmed a survival advantage in phase II and III trials and has led the way for the study of other drugs that share its mechanism of action. Defining disease and patient characteristics associated with a response remains amongst the most pressing priorities.
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