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Keytruda: 7 things you should know

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 18, 2024.

1. How it works

2. Upsides

3. Downsides

If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, take no other medication or have no other medical conditions, side effects you are more likely to experience include:

Note: In general, seniors or children, people with certain medical conditions (such as liver or kidney problems, heart disease, diabetes, seizures) or people who take other medications are more at risk of developing a wider range of side effects. View complete list of side effects

4. Bottom Line

Keytruda is an immunotherapy treatment called a checkpoint inhibitor that helps your immune system fight cancer and is used to treat many different types of cancer in adults and children including lung cancer, melanoma (a type of skin cancer), adenocarcinomas, endometrial carcinoma, and triple-negative breast cancer. Keytruda is a brand (trade) name for pembrolizumab. It is given by intravenous infusion every three to six weeks. Rarely, the use of Keytruda results in the immune system attacking healthy tissues and this can cause serious side effects such as pneumonitis, colitis, or hepatitis. In some people, the use of Keytruda has resulted in the remission of cancer or significant tumor shrinkage.

5. Tips

6. Response and effectiveness

7. Interactions

Medicines that interact with Keytruda may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with Keytruda. An interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of the medications; however, sometimes it does. Speak to your doctor about how drug interactions should be managed.

Common medications that may interact with Keytruda include:

Increased mortality was reported when Keytruda was added to a thalidomide analog plus dexamethasone.

Note that this list is not all-inclusive and includes only common medications that may interact with Keytruda. You should refer to the prescribing information for Keytruda for a complete list of interactions.

References

Further information

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use Keytruda only for the indication prescribed.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

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