Vol. 2 No. 9 (2022)
Reimbursement Recommendations

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)

Published September 19, 2022

Key Messages

  • CADTH recommends that Keytruda be reimbursed by public drug plans for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery only if certain conditions are met.
  • Keytruda should only be covered for adult (18 years of age or older) patients with early-stage TNBC who are at high risk for breast cancer coming back.
  • Keytruda should only be used with chemotherapy before surgery, then alone after surgery. Keytruda should only be reimbursed if: prescribed by a specialist, if the patient is in relatively good health (i.e., have a good performance status, as determined by a specialist), the patient has not received prior systemic therapy for non-metastatic TNBC; and the patient has no clinical contraindication to immunotherapy.