澳大利亚扩展免疫疗法药物Keytruda的药品福利计划覆盖范围

澳大利亚政府自今日起扩展药品福利计划对免疫疗法药物Keytruda（帕博利珠单抗）的覆盖范围，新增胆管癌、卵巢癌和Merkel细胞癌三种癌症类型的治疗适应症1。Keytruda是一种大分子蛋白质类单克隆抗体，通过阻断PD-L1与PD-1的相互作用来激活人体免疫系统直接攻击癌症1。与传统化疗药物相比，这款药物具有副作用更轻、效果更好的优势1。

自2014年首次获批用于治疗晚期黑色素瘤以来，Keytruda已被广泛应用于多种癌症治疗1。在黑色素瘤治疗中，该药将晚期患者的五年生存率从不到10%提高到55%以上1。在此次扩展覆盖的新增癌症中，每年约有1,400人患胆管癌，Keytruda将这一癌症的五年生存率从约5%提高至16%以上；对于晚期卵巢癌患者，该药将18个月生存率从40%提高到50%；Merkel细胞癌患者的五年生存率则从34%提高到43%1。根据药品福利计划的定价，普通患者每次仅需支付A$25，优惠患者为A$7.70，但私人患者可能需支付最高A$14,8001。

Australia's government has expanded coverage of the immunotherapy drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) under its Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to include three additional cancer types as of today 1. The expanded list now includes cholangiocarcinoma, ovarian cancer, and Merkel cell carcinoma 1.

Keytruda is a large-molecule monoclonal antibody protein that activates the immune system to attack cancer by blocking the interaction between PD-L1 and PD-1 1. This mechanism fundamentally differs from traditional chemotherapy drugs, which directly target and kill cancer cells but often damage healthy cells as well. In contrast, Keytruda works by removing the "brakes" that cancers use to hide from the immune system, allowing the body's natural defenses to recognize and destroy malignant cells 1. The immunotherapy approach generally produces fewer side effects and better outcomes compared to conventional chemotherapy 1.

Since its first approval in 2014 for treating advanced melanoma, Keytruda has demonstrated substantial improvements in patient survival across multiple cancer types 1. For advanced melanoma specifically, the drug increased the five-year survival rate from below 10 percent to above 55 percent 1. In cholangiocarcinoma, which affects approximately 1,400 Australians annually, the five-year survival rate has risen from about 5 percent to above 16 percent 1. For advanced ovarian cancer, Keytruda improved the 18-month survival rate from 40 percent to 50 percent 1, while for Merkel cell carcinoma, it increased the five-year survival rate from 34 percent to 43 percent 1.

Under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Australian patients pay only A$25 per prescription, or A$7.70 for concession cardholders 1. Private patients, however, may face costs up to A$14,800 1.