Key points:
- Ukraine has purchased the innovative drug pembrolizumab for treating melanoma.
- Deliveries of the drug will begin at the end of June 2026.
- Pembrolizumab helps the immune system fight cancer cells.
- The drug is effective in the late stages of melanoma, when surgical removal of the tumor is not possible.
- The purchase is made through a controlled access mechanism, which allows the state to save on expensive drugs.
Ukraine has signed a three-year agreement with the American company Merck Sharp & Dohme to supply the innovative drug pembrolizumab, which helps treat patients with severe melanoma (skin cancer). Deliveries will begin at the end of June 2026.
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Pembrolizumab stimulates the immune system to fight cancer by blocking the PD-1 protein, which normally inhibits the activity of immune cells. The drug is particularly effective in the late stages of melanoma, when the tumor can no longer be removed surgically.
Symptoms of melanoma include changes or the appearance of new moles, asymmetry, uneven edges, uneven coloration, rapid increase in size, itching, pain, or bleeding. In the later stages, weakness and metastasis to other organs may occur.
The drug is purchased through a controlled access mechanism, which allows the state to buy expensive drugs at a favorable price and provide them to patients more quickly. The Ministry of Health continues to expand Ukrainians’ access to modern treatment and free medical care.
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