Vol. 2 No. 2 (2022)
Reimbursement Reviews

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

Published February 4, 2022

Key Messages

  • CADTH reimbursement reviews are comprehensive assessments of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, as well as patient and clinician perspectives, of a drug or drug class.
  • The assessments inform non-binding recommendations that help guide the reimbursement decisions of Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with the exception of Quebec.
  • This review assesses pembrolizumab (Keytruda) IV infusion over 30 minutes.
  • Indication: Pembrolizumab, in combination with platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic carcinoma of the esophagus or HER2-negative adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (tumour centre 1 cm to 5 cm above the gastric cardia).