Keytruda's Role in India's Cancer Fight and the Rise of a Counterfeit Market
An investigation by The Indian Express and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has uncovered a significant black market for Keytruda in India, driven by the drug's high official cost of over Rs 1.5 lakh per vial. Keytruda (pembrolizumab), manufactured by Merck & Co, is a leading immunotherapy drug that empowers the immune system to attack cancer cells by blocking PD-1 receptors. Approved globally for various cancers including lung, cervical, and breast cancer, it generated $29.5 billion in revenue in 2024. The report highlights how inaccessible pricing and standardized high dosing have fueled counterfeit supplies, involving hospital staff and exploiting systemic loopholes. Unlike chemotherapy, which kills both healthy and cancerous cells, Keytruda offers targeted treatment with fewer side effects and potential for complete tumor regression in late-stage cases. The article explains the mechanism of checkpoint inhibitors and contrasts them with other emerging therapies like CAR-T cell therapy and mRNA vaccines. While available in tertiary care hospitals across India, the disparity between demand and affordability has created a dangerous underground market, prompting police investigations into insider involvement and supply chain breaches.
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Keytruda's Role in India's Cancer Fight and the Rise of a Counterfeit Market
An investigation by The Indian Express and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has uncovered a significant black market for Keytruda in India, driven by the drug's high official cost of over Rs 1.5 lakh per vial. Keytruda (pembrolizumab), manufactured by Merck & Co, is a leading immunotherapy drug that empowers the immune system to attack cancer cells by blocking PD-1 receptors. Approved globally for various cancers including lung, cervical, and breast cancer, it generated $29.5 billion in revenue in 2024. The report highlights how inaccessible pricing and standardized high dosing have fueled counterfeit supplies, involving hospital staff and exploiting systemic loopholes. Unlike chemotherapy, which kills both healthy and cancerous cells, Keytruda offers targeted treatment with fewer side effects and potential for complete tumor regression in late-stage cases. The article explains the mechanism of checkpoint inhibitors and contrasts them with other emerging therapies like CAR-T cell therapy and mRNA vaccines. While available in tertiary care hospitals across India, the disparity between demand and affordability has created a dangerous underground market, prompting police investigations into insider involvement and supply chain breaches.
indianexpress