Adjuvant Pembrolizumab Wins European Approval for Stage IIB/IIC Melanoma Following Complete Resection

Source: Onc Live, June 2022

The European Commission (EC) has approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for adjuvant treatment of adult and adolescent patients 12 years and older with stage IIB or IIC melanoma who have undergone a complete resection.

Furthermore, the EC expanded the indications for pembrolizumab to included adolescent patients aged 12 years and older with advanced unresectable or metastatic melanoma and stage III melanoma as an adjuvant treatment following complete resection.

“When melanoma recurs, patients often have a significantly worse long-term prognosis, especially if the cancer returns or spreads to distant sites,” Alexander Eggermont, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer of the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology in the Netherlands, stated in a press release. “This approval further reinforces the important role of adjuvant therapy for patients 12 years and older with completely resected stage IIB and IIC melanoma who now have a treatment option that has demonstrated the potential to significantly reduce the risk of their cancer returning.”

READ THE ORIGINAL FULL ARTICLE