Pembrolizumab (high qualified)

Pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) is a PD-1 inhibitor developed by Merck & Co., Ltd. It was first approved by the FDA in 2014 for the treatment of certain patients with metastatic melanoma. In 2015, the FDA approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Subsequently, pembrolizumab was approved for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as first-line treatment for certain metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients, Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL), and certain locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients. In 2025, the FDA approved pembrolizumab as neoadjuvant therapy for PD-L1+ resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and continued as adjuvant therapy in combination with radiotherapy.