Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors)
Other names: anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking antibodies
What are Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors)?
Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies are a type of targeted immunotherapy called an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Checkpoint inhibitors don't kill cancer cells directly, instead, they target specific proteins on T-cells (a type of immune cell), one of which is called PD-1.
In healthy people, PD-1 acts as a “set of brakes” to stop the T-cells from attacking other cells in the body. It does this by attaching to PD-L1, a protein on some normal (and cancer) cells. When PD-1 is bound to PD-L1, the T-cell will not attack the other cell. This helps our immune system tell the difference between foreign invaders and healthy tissue.
But some cancer cells have large amounts of PD-L1, which allows them to bind to PD-1 on the T-cell, and avoid being attacked. When the T-cells are bound to the cancer cells, it puts the "brakes" on, and the T-cell can't fight the cancer.
Monoclonal antibodies that target either PD-1 or PD-L1 can block this binding and put the T-cell "brakes" in the “off” position, which means the T-cells are now active to find and kill the cancer cells, wherever they are in the body.
Other types of immune checkpoint inhibitors include those that target other checkpoint proteins such as CTLA-4 and LAG-3. These are typically used in combination with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor to treat several types of cancer.
All of these drugs are given as an infusion into a vein (IV).
PD-1 inhibitors
Examples of drugs that target PD-1 include:
- Cemiplimab (Libtayo)
- Nivolumab (Opdivo)
- Pembrolizumab (Keytruda).
PD-L1 inhibitors
Examples of drugs that target PD-L1 include:
- Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
- Avelumab (Bavencio)
- Durvalumab (Imfinzi).
List of Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors)
See also
Medical conditions treated or associated with anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors):
- Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma
- Anal Cancer
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Biliary Tract Tumor
- Bladder Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Cervical Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Endometrial Cancer
- Esophageal Carcinoma
- Gastric Cancer
- Head and Neck Cancer
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Hodgkin's Lymphoma
- Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
- Melanoma
- Melanoma, Metastatic
- Merkel Cell Carcinoma
- Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
- Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Primary Mediastinal Large B-cell Lymphoma
- Renal Cell Carcinoma
- Small Cell Lung Cancer
- Solid Tumors
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Stomach Cancer
- Urothelial Carcinoma
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.