Oops, you're using an old version of your browser so some of the features on this page may not be displaying properly.

MINIMAL Requirements: Google Chrome 24+Mozilla Firefox 20+Internet Explorer 11Opera 15–18Apple Safari 7SeaMonkey 2.15-2.23

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Pembrolizumab for Unresectable or Metastatic MSI-H or dMMR Solid Tumours

First FDA tissue/site-agnostic approval
29 May 2017
Immunotherapy

On 23 May, 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA, Merck & Co.) for adult and paediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) solid tumours that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options or with MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.

This is the FDA’s first tissue/site-agnostic approval. 

The approval was based on data from 149 patients with MSI-H or dMMR cancers enrolled across five uncontrolled, multicohort, multicentre, single-arm clinical trials. Ninety patients had colorectal cancer and 59 patients were diagnosed with one of 14 other cancer types. Patients received either pembrolizumab, 200 mg every 3 weeks, or pembrolizumab, 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Treatment continued until unacceptable toxicity, or disease progression that was either symptomatic, rapidly progressive, required urgent intervention, or associated with a decline in performance status. A maximum of 24 months of treatment was administered.

The major efficacy outcome measures were objective response rate (ORR) assessed by blinded independent central radiologists’ review according to RECIST 1.1, and response duration. The ORR was 39.6% (95% CI: 31.7, 47.9). Responses lasted six months or more for 78% of those who responded to pembrolizumab. There were 11 complete responses and 48 partial responses. The ORR was similar irrespective of whether patients were diagnosed with CRC (36%) or a different cancer type (46% across the 14 other cancer types).

The identification of MSI-H or dMMR tumour status for the majority of patients (135/149) was prospectively determined using local laboratory-developed, investigational polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for MSI-H status or immunohistochemistry (IHC) tests for dMMR. For 14 of the 149 patients, MSI-H status was determined in a retrospective assessment of 415 patients’ tumour samples using a central laboratory-developed PCR test.

The most common adverse reactions to pembrolizumab include fatigue, pruritus, diarrhoea, decreased appetite, rash, pyrexia, cough, dyspnoea, musculoskeletal pain, constipation, and nausea. Pembrolizumab is associated with immune-mediated side effects, including pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, endocrinopathies, and nephritis.

The prescribing information for pembrolizumab includes a “Limitation of Use” stating that the safety and effectiveness of pembrolizumab in paediatric patients with MSI-H central nervous system cancers have not been established. 

The recommended pembrolizumab dose for this indication is 200 mg for adults or 2 mg/kg (up to a maximum of 200 mg) for children, administered as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every 3 weeks until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 24 months in patients without disease progression.

Full prescribing information for pembrolizumab is available here.

FDA granted this application priority review status and accelerated approval. Further studies are required to confirm clinical benefit of pembrolizumab for this indication.

Healthcare professionals should report all serious adverse events suspected to be associated with the use of any medicine and device to FDA’s MedWatch Reporting System.

Last update: 29 May 2017

This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential, while others help us improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.

For more detailed information on the cookies we use, please check our Privacy Policy.

Customise settings
  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and you can only disable them by changing your browser preferences.