See the DrugPatentWatch profile for keytruda

Keytruda, a medication produced by Merck & Co., received its first approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2014. Specifically, the FDA approved Keytruda for the treatment of advanced melanoma in patients whose disease had progressed after other treatments and who had certain genetic characteristics [1]. This marked a significant milestone in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Keytruda is a type of drug known as a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitor. It works by blocking the interaction between PD-1, a protein on the surface of T cells (a type of white blood cell), and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), a protein found on some cancer cells. This interaction can help protect the cancer cells from attack by the immune system. By blocking the interaction, Keytruda helps the immune system to better fight cancer cells [2].

Since its initial approval, Keytruda has received additional approvals from the FDA for the treatment of several other types of cancer, including certain types of lung, head and neck, and bladder cancers [1].

Sources:

1. [DrugPatentWatch.com](https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/drugs/keytruda).
2. National Cancer Institute. "Keytruda." <https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/keytruda>.