First ‘tumour agnostic’ indication announced

Australians who have a cancer which displays a specific biomarker may be eligible for treatment with a medicine that activates the immune system to fight cancer cells.

A medicine to treat cancer based on the genetic profile of the tumour, rather than tumour type or location, has now been registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods < 263932>.2 This marks the first ‘tumour agnostic’ approach to cancer treatment in Australia.1,2,4
MSD confirmed that KEYTRUDA can now be used to treat eligible patients whose cancer has a specific genetic alteration (known medically as a biomarker) called deficient DNA-mismatch repair (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). These patients must have advanced cancer (where the cancer has spread to other organs) that has progressed following prior treatment and have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
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