{"id":24443,"date":"2024-09-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?p=24443"},"modified":"2024-10-12T15:27:15","modified_gmt":"2024-10-12T19:27:15","slug":"fda-approval-of-keytruda-mesothelioma-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/blog\/fda-approval-of-keytruda-mesothelioma-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Keytruda Gets FDA Approval for Initial Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma"},"content":{"rendered":"

On September 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda\u00ae)<\/a> with chemotherapy as a standard treatment for certain cases of mesothelioma. This news came a week earlier than projected after the FDA’s May 29 announcement that it had prioritized its review of Keytruda for mesothelioma patients who cannot have surgery.<\/p>\n

Keytruda is an immunotherapy drug<\/a> that works by blocking PD-1, a protein that immune T cells use to determine which cells are good and bad. This helps them kill cancer cells that try to hide from the immune system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pleased to offer a new first-line treatment option<\/strong> for adult patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma,\u201d said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president of oncology clinical research for Merck Research Laboratories. \u201cThis milestone underscores our commitment to advancing research for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With Keytruda\u2019s approval by the FDA, mesothelioma patients will now have access to another treatment method that could help them live longer.<\/p>\n

Download our Free Immunotherapy Guide<\/strong> to learn more about the benefits of Keytruda and other immunotherapy drugs for mesothelioma<\/a>.<\/p>\n