Evaluation of efficacy and safety of different pembrolizumab dose/schedules in treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer and melanoma: a systematic review.

Pembrolizumab is a fully humanized anti-PD-1 agent currently approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma and pretreated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

To assess the efficacy and safety of different dose schedules of pembrolizumab in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC and melanoma. Search method: MEDLINE database has been searched. Reference lists of original studies and review articles were checked for other related articles.

Prospective clinical trials reporting the outcomes of more than one dose schedule of pembrolizumab in the treatment of advanced NSCLC and melanoma.

The review author extracted information on the outcomes of the study for this review, and presented the results.

Four trials with 3425 patients were included in this systematic review. Pooled analysis for the odds ratio of objective response rate comparing 2 versus 10 mg/kg every 3 weeks in advanced melanoma was 1.03 (95% CI: 0.71-1.49; p = 0.89), while for advanced NSCLC, it was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.66-1.43; p = 0.87). Moreover, odds ratio for selected side effects between the two doses was as follows: rash: 0.83 (95 CI: 0.58-1.18; p = 0.29); vitiligo: 1.27 (95% CI: 0.62-2.61; p = 0.52); diarrhea: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.63-1.42; p = 0.79); hypothyroidism: 0.97 (95% CI: 0.63-1.50; p = 0.90); hepatitis/elevated transaminases: 1.86 (95% CI: 0.91-3.79; p = 0.09); nephritis: 0.88 (95% CI: 0.32-2.44; p = 0.80); pneumonitis: 1.17 (95% CI: 0.62-2.23; p = 0.63).

Given the equivalence in efficacy and safety between lower doses and higher doses of pembrolizumab, 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks seems to be an appropriate dose for routine practice in advanced pretreated NSCLC and melanoma.