And exactly how much “money” did pembrolizumab generate as a pre-commercial drug candidate 11 or 12 years ago? “When Merck acquired Schering-Plough, it inherited this promising immunotherapy project. Merck continued its development and eventually brought pembrolizumab to market. The drug was approved in 2014 as a treatment for advanced melanoma and has since become one of the most successful cancer immunotherapies, generating billions in annual revenue.”
”A decade” is actually a significant timeframe. The step change in immunotherapy appears to be unfolding now after the first decade of commercially available checkpoint inhibitors, driven by new combo therapies—DC platforms may just be one of the central keys in this new era! 🔑