pembrolizumab + interleukin-2

This is a combination therapy consisting of pembrolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting the programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor, and interleukin-2 (IL-2), a recombinant cytokine that stimulates proliferation and activation of T lymphocytes. Pembrolizumab blocks PD-1, preventing inactivation of T cells by tumor cells and thus promoting anti-tumor immunity. Interleukin-2 is a cytokine therapy that enhances T cell activation and proliferation, further boosting anti-tumor immune responses. The combination aims to provide synergistic immunostimulatory activity for the treatment of cancers such as metastatic melanoma, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This combination is currently under investigation in several early-phase clinical trials and has shown feasibility and improved response rates in some studies, especially in metastatic melanoma and ccRCC patients[1][2][3][7][8].