How does the cancer drug Keytruda work? And how is it different to chemo?

By Nial Wheate, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Macquarie University

From today, the Australian government will expand Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) access to the drug Keytruda for three additional types of cancer.

This is part of a broader shift away from cancer treatment with traditional chemotherapy drugs that can be less effective and have more intense side effects.

So what is Keytruda? How does it work? And which cancers can it treat?

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How does the cancer drug Keytruda work? And how is it different to chemo?

The problems…Read complete article© The Conversation - Monday, August 31, 2026

The problems…

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© The Conversation - Monday, August 31, 2026