Keytruda approved in first and second-line settings for advanced NSCLC in Japan

Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK) has received approval in Japan for its immuno-oncology drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to treat certain patients with PD-L1-positive unresectable advanced/recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the first and second-line treatment settings.

The US pharma giant will manufacture and market Keytruda in Japan and promote it with Taiho Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Japanese drug major Otsuka Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4768).

Roger Perlmutter, president of Merck Research Laboratories, said: “This approval in both the first and second-line settings for advanced NSCLC in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 marks an important milestone in Japan. Through advanced research, Merck is demonstrating its commitment to bringing meaningful therapeutic advances to people with cancer throughout the world.”