pembrolizumab + ciprofloxacin + metronidazole

This combination therapy consists of the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab administered alongside the broad-spectrum antibiotics ciprofloxacin and metronidazole. Developed as an experimental regimen by researchers at NYU Langone Health, it is designed to treat surgically resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma by modulating the gut and intratumoral microbiome. The rationale is based on preclinical findings that certain bacteria can suppress the immune system's ability to fight tumors; by depleting these bacteria, the regimen aims to enhance the activation of T cells and improve the efficacy of pembrolizumab in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment. In clinical protocols, patients receive a lead-in of antibiotics followed by pembrolizumab doses during the preoperative period.

Other names

Gut Microbiome Modulation with Pembrolizumab and Antibiotics