| melanoma
Keytruda vs Tafinlar + Mekinist
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for melanoma.Deep comparison between: Keytruda vs Tafinlar with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsTafinlar has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Keytruda based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Tafinlar but not Keytruda, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Keytruda
Tafinlar
At A Glance
IV infusion
Every 3 weeks or Every 6 weeks
PD-1 inhibitor
Oral
Twice daily
BRAF kinase inhibitor
Indications
- melanoma
- Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
- Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
- Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Mediastinal (Thymic) Large B-Cell Lymphoma
- Urothelial Carcinoma
- Colorectal Carcinoma
- Stomach Carcinoma
- Esophageal carcinoma
- Cervix carcinoma
- Liver carcinoma
- Biliary Tract Cancer
- Merkel cell carcinoma
- Renal Cell Carcinoma
- Endometrial Carcinoma
- Triple-Negative Breast Carcinoma
- Malignant neoplasm of ovary
- Squamous cell carcinoma of skin
- melanoma
- Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
- Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
- Low grade glioma
- Solid Neoplasm
Dosing
melanoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV; 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg) every 3 weeks IV for pediatrics
Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV for adults; 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg) every 3 weeks IV for pediatrics
Mediastinal (Thymic) Large B-Cell Lymphoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV for adults; 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg) every 3 weeks IV for pediatrics
Urothelial Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Colorectal Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV for adults; 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg) every 3 weeks IV for pediatrics
Stomach Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Esophageal carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Cervix carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Liver carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Biliary Tract Cancer 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Merkel cell carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV for adults; 2 mg/kg (up to 200 mg) every 3 weeks IV for pediatrics
Renal Cell Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV as single agent or in combination with axitinib 5 mg orally twice daily or lenvatinib 20 mg orally once daily
Endometrial Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, or with lenvatinib 20 mg orally once daily, or as single agent for MSI-H or dMMR tumors
Triple-Negative Breast Carcinoma 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Malignant neoplasm of ovary 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Squamous cell carcinoma of skin 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks IV
Melanoma 150 mg orally twice daily as single agent or in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily, oral route.
Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma 150 mg orally twice daily in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily, oral route.
Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma 150 mg orally twice daily in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily, oral route.
Low grade glioma Weight-based dosing in pediatric patients (20-150 mg twice daily) in combination with trametinib, oral route.
Solid Neoplasm 150 mg orally twice daily in combination with trametinib 2 mg once daily in adults; weight-based dosing in pediatric patients >= 1 year, oral route.
Contraindications
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Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=20%) fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, decreased appetite, rash, diarrhea, nausea, cough, dyspnea, constipation, pruritus, hypothyroidism
Serious pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, endocrinopathies, nephritis with renal dysfunction, dermatologic adverse reactions, myocarditis, neurological toxicities, infusion-related reactions, immune-mediated adverse reactions
Postmarketing exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, sclerosing cholangitis
Most common (>= 20%) Pyrexia, rash, hyperkeratosis, headache, arthralgia, papilloma, alopecia, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, chills, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, dry skin, myalgia, constipation, decreased appetite, edema, hemorrhage, dyspnea, musculoskeletal pain, abdominal pain, epistaxis, dermatitis acneiform
Serious New primary malignancies (cutaneous and non-cutaneous RAS mutation-positive), hemorrhage, cardiomyopathy, uveitis, serious febrile reactions, serious skin toxicities including SCAR, hyperglycemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Pharmacology
Pembrolizumab is a PD-1 blocking antibody that releases PD-1 pathway-mediated inhibition of the immune response by preventing the interaction of PD-1 with its ligands PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby restoring anti-tumor immune response.
Dabrafenib is a BRAF kinase inhibitor that targets mutated BRAF V600E, V600K, and V600D enzymes, inhibiting cell growth in BRAF V600 mutation-positive tumors.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Keytruda
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (12/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
Tafinlar
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (11/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (11/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Keytruda
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Tafinlar
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (6/8) · Step Therapy (4/8) · Qty limit (1/8)
Humana
Keytruda
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Tafinlar
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (2/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
No savings programs available for Keytruda.
No savings programs available for Tafinlar.
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KeytrudaView full Keytruda profile
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.