Mesothelioma Newest Approved Indication for Pembrolizumab

The FDA approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda; Merck) with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) that cannot be removed with surgery. In KEYNOTE-483, a phase II/III, open-label trial whose results were presented in 2023, patients with no prior systemic therapy for advanced or metastatic MPM received either pembrolizumab for up to 2 years with pemetrexed alone. Median overall survival was 17.3 months and 16.1 months, respectively.