Merck Receives FDA Approval for Keytruda in Adjuvant Cervical Cancer

Merck today announced that the FDA has approved KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) as adjuvant treatment for adults with cervical cancer with high-risk pathological features following radical resection. In the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-A18 trial, KEYTRUDA demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival compared to placebo when added to concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The 2-year DFS rate was 87.8% for KEYTRUDA versus 80.8% for placebo. This approval provides patients with high-risk cervical cancer a new adjuvant immunotherapy option to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence.