An evaluation of pembrolizumab for classical Hodgkin lymphoma

Pembrolizumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) targeted against the programmed death 1 (PD-1) pathway, a key pathway in the biology of Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Anti-PD-1 antibodies are approved for use in relapsed/refractory cHL but ongoing studies continue to optimize the use of this treatment.This review highlights recent and established data regarding pembrolizumab in the management of relapsed/refractory cHL and emerging areas of study including translational biology, combinations with chemotherapy and trials earlier in the disease course.Pembrolizumab provides superior progression-free survival for patients with cHL who relapse post-autologous stem cell transplant or who have chemotherapy refractory disease and should be used in these high-risk populations. A key challenge remains the development of predictive biomarkers for anti-PD1 antibodies. There is promising evidence of the improved efficacy of salvage chemotherapy regimens and frontline regimens incorporating pembrolizumab but larger randomized studies are needed to demonstrate clear patient benefit.