KEYTRUDA

NEWS: Dangerous counterfeit market for Keytruda in India, where hospital-level breaches and high drug prices have led to fakes being sold to desperate patients

About Keytruda

• Keytrudaà Brand name for Pembrolizumabà a revolutionary immunotherapy drug used to treat various advanced and aggressive cancers.
• Keytrudaà a checkpoint inhibitor that helps the body’s own immune system identify and destroy cancer cells.
• Manufactured by the U.S.-based global pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada).
• Removes the brakes on the immune systemà seeks to prevent cancer cells from hiding from the body’s T-cells, thereby allowing the immune system to launch an effective attack against the tumor

Key Features of Keytruda

• Binds to a protein called PD-1 on the surface of T-cells.
• Prevents the T-cells from binding with PD-L1 on cancer cellsàa handshake that usually allows cancer to evade the immune system.
• Highly targetedà Generally spares healthy tissue and reduces certain side effects.
• Belongs to a class of laboratory-made molecules designed to restore, enhance, or mimic the immune system’s attack on cancer cells.
• In Indiaà Merck provides a buy five, get 30 free scheme to help eligible patients (those with insurance/income below ₹25 lakh) manage the high cost of treatment.

Implications for India’s Cancer Fight

• With India’s cancer cases projected to surge by nearly 74% by 2045à drugs like Keytruda are critical for managing the increasing healthcare crisis.
• The extreme cost creates a dual-tier health system where only the wealthy or those with specialized insurance can access top-tier care, leading to the rise of dangerous counterfeit markets.