{"id":630201,"date":"2024-10-24T13:46:31","date_gmt":"2024-10-24T17:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=630201"},"modified":"2024-10-25T09:40:51","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T13:40:51","slug":"keytruda-for-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/keytruda-for-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Keytruda used for in dogs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is a cancer immunotherapy drug used to treat human cancer, including <\/span>melanoma<\/span><\/a>, small-cell <\/span>lung cancer<\/span><\/a>, lymphoma, breast cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, cervical cancer, and many other types of cancer. The active ingredient in Keytruda is a <\/span>monoclonal antibody<\/span><\/a>. As an immune checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab prevents cancer cells from blocking the immune system’s ability to kill off cancer cells. Veterinarians do not use Keytruda in dogs because it won’t work. However, the Food and Drug Administration has conditionally licensed a drug that works similarly called gilvetmab. The drug can be used by veterinary specialists in dogs with melanoma or mast cell tumors.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Keytruda used for in dogs?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Keytruda is not used in dogs. <\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, veterinarians can use a similar drug called gilvetmab, which works like Keytruda. The FDA has conditionally approved the use of gilvetmab in dogs with stage 2 or stage 3 melanoma or stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3 mast cell tumors. Cancer stages are determined by the depth of invasion (DOI) of the tumor and the spread of the cancer to the rest of the body (metastases). Higher stages represent deeper invasions and wider spread. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gilvetmab is still being studied in dogs, but clinical studies so far suggest it is highly effective and safe. At this time, gilvetmab can only be used by <\/span>researchers<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>veterinary cancer specialists<\/span><\/a> (oncologists). Regular veterinarians do not have access to this drug.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pembrolizumab, the active ingredient in Keytruda, is a monoclonal antibody designed for humans and humans alone. It won’t work in other species. <\/span><\/p>\n

Monoclonal antibodies are designed to glue themselves to molecules on the surface of cells. They are big molecules, but only one part of the drug is designed to do the gluing. The rest is engineered to look like an antibody that a human body would produce. In that way, the immune system doesn’t attack the drug as if it were a foreign invader.<\/span><\/p>\n

If Keytruda were injected into a dog’s bloodstream, the dog’s immune system would eventually destroy all the pembrolizumab in the injection. To work in dogs, the part of Keytruda that works has to look like a dog antibody. <\/span><\/p>\n

Researchers at Merck have done that. They’ve developed an antibody similar to pembrolizumab called gilvetmab. Like pembrolizumab, it is a PD-1 inhibitor. Both Keytruda and gilvetmab attach to a molecule called PD-1 that sits on the surface of immune cells called T cells. These are the immune cells that fight and destroy infections and cancers. This PD-1 receptor, however, works like an “off” button. Some cancers produce molecules that attach to PD-1 and shut down those killer immune cells. That’s good for the cancer but not so good for the person with cancer. By attaching to PD-1 receptors on immune cells, Keytruda and gilvetmab prevent cancer cells from turning these immune cells off, so the immune response against cancer remains robust. <\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is that researchers in veterinary medicine are working on producing canine versions of some of the best antibody drugs used in humans, like <\/span>Humira<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Cosentyx<\/span><\/a>. Gilvetmab is one of the drugs. Though still in clinical trials, it works so well that veterinary oncologists can prescribe it for canine mast cell tumors and melanoma.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is Keytruda safe for dogs?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Veterinarians do not use Keytruda in dogs. <\/span><\/p>\n

The veterinary version of Keytruda is gilvetmab. It is currently in clinical trials for dogs but has been made conditionally available to veterinary oncologists. At this point, the FDA considers it both effective and safe in dogs. In two studies, gilvetmab was found to be well-tolerated without any genuinely severe side effects or complications.<\/span><\/p>\n

Side effects of Keytruda in dogs<\/span><\/h3>\n

Keytruda is not used in dogs, but Merck has developed a similar drug called gilvetmab.<\/span><\/p>\n

In early rounds of clinical studies, <\/span>the most common effects<\/span><\/a> of gilvetmab were:<\/span><\/p>\n