A systematic assessment on emerging drug in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer -pembrolizumab

HT, Rakshith and Lohita, S and Rebello, Anvil Preem (2025) A systematic assessment on emerging drug in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer -pembrolizumab. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 25 (3). pp. 2288-2297. ISSN 2581-9615

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. While surgery can cure many patients, a significant number may still succumb to the disease over time, even with additional chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Immunotherapies including T-cell therapy, cytokine therapy, and oncolytic viruses, have shown promise in cancer treatment. Checkpoint inhibitors, in particular, have demonstrated encouraging response rates (RRs). Pembrolizumab, a human-derived anti-PD-1 antibody, is one such emerging therapy. This analysis aims to determine the effectiveness of the emerging drug pembrolizumab in treating NSCLC. A systematic assessment was performed by conducting a literature search of previously conducted studies using various search databases and the relevant studies and articles were included in the final assessment of the review. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as a viable therapeutic option for NSCLC, including in the front-line setting. Pembrolizumab should be considered a standard first-line treatment for NSCLC patients. Additionally, patients with advanced NSCLC have benefited from immunotherapy advancements, particularly checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L pathways.