pembrolizumab biosimilar (Chong Kun Dang)

The pembrolizumab biosimilar being developed by Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp. is a monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) receptor. Originally licensed from the Singapore-based pharmaceutical company Favorex in September 2022, this biologic is a biosimilar to Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda. Its mechanism of action involves binding to PD-1 on the surface of T cells, thereby preventing the receptor from interacting with its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2. This blockade disrupts the inhibitory checkpoint signaling that tumors often exploit to evade immune detection, effectively reactivating the body's immune response against malignant cells. The drug is currently being developed for the treatment of 14 different types of cancer, including metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.

Other names

pembrolizumab biosimilarFavorex pembrolizumab biosimilarChong Kun Dang pembrolizumab biosimilar