Immunotherapy

Keytruda, the brand name for Pembrolizumab, continues to transform global cancer treatment with its proven survival benefits across multiple cancers. However, despite widespread international approvals, access to the drug remains limited for most patients in India due to high costs.

Keytruda belongs to a class of treatments known as immunotherapy, which harnesses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. Unlike traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy enhances or restores immune function to identify and destroy cancer cells more effectively.

One of the most important categories of immunotherapy is immune checkpoint inhibitors, which remove the “brakes” on immune cells, allowing them to attack tumours. Pembrolizumab specifically targets the PD-1 pathway, enabling immune cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells.

Experts highlight that immunotherapy is a rapidly advancing field, with several approaches currently in use or under research:

• Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs): Lab-designed proteins that bind to specific targets on cancer cells, improving immune detection.
• CAR T-cell therapy: Patient T-cells are genetically modified to better recognize and attack cancer cells.
• Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs): Immune cells extracted from tumours are multiplied in labs and reinfused to boost the body’s response.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Drugs like Pembrolizumab that enhance immune activity against cancer.

While these therapies have revolutionized oncology worldwide, affordability and accessibility remain major challenges in countries like India. Public health experts stress the need for policy support, price regulation, and domestic innovation to ensure that life-saving treatments like Keytruda reach a wider patient population.

Sources: IE & American Cancer Society