Tag: Pembrolizumab

KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) is an immunotherapy medicine that works with the immune system to treat certain cancers [1.3.6]. Understanding **what to expect after a KEYTRUDA infusion** is key to managing your health, from common side effects like fatigue to more serious immune-related reactions [1.2.1].

Since its first FDA approval in 2014, KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) has become a treatment for over 20 types of cancer [1.4.3]. A common question for patients is, **how long does KEYTRUDA stay in your system after an infusion?**

Immunotherapy infusion times can range from as little as 10 minutes to several hours, with common immune checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab often taking around 30 minutes. The exact duration of **how long does an infusion of immunotherapy take** is highly dependent on the specific medication and the patient's individual treatment plan.

Based on 2024 sales data, Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) generated nearly $29.5 billion globally, positioning it as the top-selling medication by revenue. However, this is not what is the number one prescription drug in the world when measured by the number of prescriptions filled, highlighting the complexities of defining a single market leader. The leading medication changes depending on the metric used, from generic statins to cutting-edge biologics.

Approximately 70-90% of the chemotherapy drug pemetrexed is eliminated through renal excretion. The term **PEM drug** can be ambiguous, but in an oncology context, it almost always refers to pemetrexed, a potent chemotherapy agent used to treat specific types of lung cancer and mesothelioma. Beyond oncology, the acronym PEM represents other drugs and concepts, requiring careful interpretation based on context.

First approved by the FDA in 2014 for treating metastatic melanoma, the cancer immunotherapy drug Keytruda is one of the world's best-selling medicines. For patients and healthcare professionals, understanding which pharma company makes KEYTRUDA is important for tracing its origins and development. The answer is the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., Inc., also known as MSD outside the United States and Canada.

With 5-year overall survival rates for certain non-small cell lung cancer patients reaching as high as 29.6% with its use [1.10.4], it is essential to understand the answer to the question, **what class of drug is pembrolizumab?**

Based on 10-year follow-up data for metastatic melanoma, 34% of patients treated with Keytruda were still alive, demonstrating a sustained overall survival benefit. The length of time Keytruda can extend life depends heavily on various factors, including the type of cancer, its stage, and the patient's individual response to the immunotherapy.