Keytruda Approved in China for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) has been approved in China for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma whose tumors express the PD-L1 protein following the failure of a systemic therapy.

The approval was based on the results of a phase 3 trial that demonstrated an improvement in overall survival for patients treated with Merck’s immunotherapy compared to those treated with chemotherapy.

Keytruda is now approved in China for three different types of cancer. The blockbuster drug earned more than $11 billion worldwide in 2019.