metformin + pembrolizumab

A combination therapy consisting of the biguanide metformin and the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab. This specific regimen is being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT04414540) sponsored by Dr. Trisha Wise-Draper at the University of Cincinnati for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Metformin, an established antidiabetic small molecule, is utilized here for its potential to modulate the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting the JAK/STAT3 pathway and CXCL1, thereby enhancing natural killer (NK) cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2), reactivating the T-cell-mediated immune response against tumor cells. The study aims to determine if metformin can synergistically improve the efficacy of pembrolizumab in HNSCC patients.

Brand names

Keytruda

Other names

metformin ER + pembrolizumabmetformin extended release + pembrolizumab