pembrolizumab + etoposide + cisplatin + carboplatin

This chemo-immunotherapy combination regimen consists of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and a platinum-etoposide chemotherapy backbone (utilizing either cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with etoposide). It is currently being investigated in the Phase II PANDORA trial (NCT06086288) as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced or metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC), a rare and aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer. Pembrolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that acts as an immune checkpoint inhibitor by blocking the interaction between the PD-1 receptor on T-cells and its ligands (PD-L1 and PD-L2), thereby enhancing anti-tumor immune responses. Etoposide is a cytotoxic small molecule that inhibits DNA topoisomerase II, while cisplatin and carboplatin are platinum-based alkylating agents that induce DNA cross-linking, leading to apoptosis in rapidly dividing cells. The combination aims to leverage the potential synergy between cytotoxic chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death and checkpoint inhibition.

Brand names

Keytruda

Other names

Pembrolizumab plus platinum-etoposide