Pembrolizumab is a highly selective, humanized monoclonal antibody of the IgG4-kappa subclass that targets the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor on T cells. Designed using recombinant technology, it incorporates sequences from a high-affinity mouse anti-PD-1 antibody grafted onto a human IgG4 backbone with a stabilizing S228P Fc mutation. This structural modification allows pembrolizumab to bind strongly to PD-1 while minimizing complement and Fc-mediated cytotoxic effects, making it ideal for immune modulation in therapeutic applications.
Clinically, pembrolizumab is used as an immune checkpoint inhibitor in the treatment of various cancers. It functions by blocking the PD-1 receptor’s interaction with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2, which normally inhibit T cell activation and proliferation. This blockade lifts the inhibitory signal, restoring T cell-mediated immune responses against tumor cells. The mechanism is particularly valuable for enhancing immune surveillance in oncology, where reactivation of T cells can lead to durable tumor regression in responsive patients.
In research and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), pembrolizumab serves as a biomarker to assess immune response and treatment efficacy in cancer immunotherapy. TDM can optimize dosing, monitor for antidrug antibodies (ADAs), and reduce the risk of adverse immune reactions, helping guide personalized treatment strategies and improve outcomes in patients undergoing checkpoint inhibitor therapies.
This product is manufactured in Turkey by Matriks Biotek.