Pembrolizumab for untreated PD-L1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer

Marketing authorisation indication

Pembrolizumab (Keytruda, Merck Sharp & Dohme) has a marketing authorisation for 'the first-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD‑L1 with at least a 50% tumour proportion score with no epidermal growth factor receptor or anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive tumour mutations'.

Dosage in the marketing authorisation

200 mg every 3 weeks by intravenous infusion. The summary of product characteristics recommends treatment with pembrolizumab until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Price

Pembrolizumab is available at a cost of £1,315.00 per 50‑mg vial (excluding VAT; British national formulary online, accessed March 2017).

The average cost of a course of treatment is £84,002 based on the list price.

The company has a commercial arrangement. This makes pembrolizumab available to the NHS with a discount. The size of the discount is commercial in confidence. It is the company's responsibility to let relevant NHS organisations know the details of the discount.