New NICE recommendation for Keytruda in head and neck cancer

24 March 2026

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the use of Keytruda (pembrolizumab), within its marketing authorization, for patients identified for surgery with resectable, locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA HNSCC), whose tumors express PD-L1 with a combined positive score (CPS) of at least one.

Measuring PD-L1 levels on tumor cells helps identify patients who are more likely to benefit from immunotherapy such as Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Keytruda.

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