Pembrolizumab Biosimilar, Human PD-1 mAb

Pembrolizumab is a humanized IgG4-kappa monoclonal antibody specific for the human checkpoint protein PD-1 expressed on activated T cells. When PD-1 is bound by its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2, it suppresses the T cell's functions, a necessary event after the infectious agent has been eradicated or to prevent unwanted immune responses, e.g. during pregnancy. Multiple types of cancers express PD-L1 and therefore inhibit T cells attempting to attack the tumor. Pembrolizumab binding to PD-1 prevents it from binding to its ligands yet does not trigger the signaling pathway. This Pembrolizumab biosimilar has the same amino acid sequence as Pembrolizumab.