Keytruda (Pembrolizumab) approval info

[Olga]

Keytruda (generic name is Pembrolizumab) is an PD-L1 targeting protein. It is FDA approved for Melanoma (2015), Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Melanoma (2014). The general info up to date is avail. on NIH web-site here incl. side effects:
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/trea ... brolizumab
In ASPS there are ongoing clinical trials and also it has been already prescribed by the oncologists in China off label after the oncologists share the dramatic response information from one of our ASPS patients to another, after the info was generously made available incl. scans images with significant regression of the metastases. It convinced the second oncologist that it was appropriate to prescribe the drug off label, in the situation when no other treatment options were available (the patient already had numerous thoracic and other surgeries and was treated with cediranib etc). I expect the more detailed info is going to be posted here later on, but for now I want to thank these patient's from China for sharing this valuable information. It is so often when patients are only reading the board without posting about the treatment they are having. Even if the result is negative, it is very important for us to know as in that case we will look for other options for everyone's benefit, without loosing the valuable time.
After the info with the scans will be posted here, we will need to share it with the oncologist leading the trial in Miami (Dr.Breelyn Wilky), so she is aware that Keytruda works slowly.