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Pembrolizumab FDA Alerts

The FDA Alerts below may be specifically about pembrolizumab or relate to a group or class of drugs which include pembrolizumab.

MedWatch Safety Alerts are distributed by the FDA and published by Drugs.com. Following is a list of possible medication recalls, market withdrawals, alerts and warnings.

Recent FDA Alerts for pembrolizumab

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Tecentriq (atezolizumab): FDA Alerts Health Care Professionals and Investigators: FDA Statement - Decreased Survival in Some Patients in Clinical Trials Associated with Monotherapy

May 18, 2018 | Audience: Oncology, Pharmacy, Risk Manager

ISSUE: FDA is alerting health care professionals, oncology clinical investigators, and the public about decreased survival associated with the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as single therapy (monotherapy) in clinical trials to treat patients with metastatic urothelial cancer who have not received prior therapy and who have low expression of the protein programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1).

In two ongoing clinical trials (KEYNOTE-361 and IMVIGOR-130), the Data Monitoring Committees’ (DMC) early reviews found patients in the monotherapy arms of both trials with PD-L1 low status had decreased survival compared to patients who received cisplatin- or carboplatin-based chemotherapy.

Health care professionals should be aware that the populations enrolled in the ongoing clinical trials were eligible for platinum-containing chemotherapy, and therefore differ from those enrolled in the trials that led to the accelerated approvals of both Keytruda and Tecentriq in the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Both Keytruda and Tecentriq are currently approved under accelerated approval for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy, irrespective of PD-L1 status. Keytruda and Tecentriq are also currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of multiple types of other cancers.

RECOMMENDATION: Patients should talk to their doctor if they have questions or concerns about either drug. Patients taking Keytruda or Tecentriq for other approved uses should continue to take their medication as directed by their health care professional.

FDA recommends providers select patients for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer using the criteria described in Section 14 of each label. These criteria supported the approvals for Keytruda and Tecentriq for initial monotherapy in cisplatin-ineligible patients.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

[05/18/2018 - Statement - FDA]
 

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in Patients with Multiple Myeloma: FDA Statement - Two Clinical Trials on Hold

Aug 31, 2017 | Audience: Oncology

ISSUE: Based on data from two recently halted clinical trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today is issuing this statement to inform the public, health care professionals, and oncology clinical investigators about the risks associated with the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in combination with dexamethasone and an immunomodulatory agent (lenalidomide or pomalidomide) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma. Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is not approved for treatment of multiple myeloma.

The FDA statement is based on review of data from two clinical trials (KEYNOTE-183 and KEYNOTE-185) evaluating the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab) combined with other treatments in patients with multiple myeloma. On July 3, 2017, the FDA required that all patients in these trials be discontinued from further investigation with this drug, because interim results from both trials demonstrated an increased risk of death for patients receiving Keytruda (pembrolizumab) when it was combined with an immunomodulatory agent as compared to the control group (see statistical analysis section below). Merck & Co., Inc. was made aware of the issue through an external data monitoring committee recommendation and suspended the trials to enrollment on June 12, 2017.
 
BACKGROUND: This does not apply to patients taking Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for an approved indication. Patients on Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for an approved use should continue to take their medication as directed by their health care professional. 

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is currently approved by the FDA for treatment of: Melanoma, Lung Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma, Urothelial Carcinoma, Microsatellite Instability-High (MSI-H) Cancer.

For a summary of the statistical analysis and findings, please refer to the FDA Statement.

RECOMMENDATION: Other multiple myeloma clinical trials of Keytruda (pembrolizumab), other PD-1/PD-L1 cancer drugs and other combinations are currently undergoing clinical evaluation. The FDA will be working directly with sponsors of Keytruda and other PD-1/PD-L1 cancer drugs, as well as clinical investigators conducting clinical trials in patients with multiple myeloma, to determine the extent of the safety issue. The agency will communicate any new information to the public as soon as it is able.

Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products and other similar products to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program:

[08/31/2017- Statement - FDA]

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