Evaluation of the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of pembrolizumab in the treatment of melanoma.

ABSTRACT:

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 pret

SUBMITTER: Longoria TC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5613934 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature