1 Recommendations

1.1 Pembrolizumab is recommended as an option for treating relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma in people aged 3 and older. It is recommended if they have had an autologous stem cell transplant that has not worked or they have had at least 2 previous therapies and an autologous stem cell transplant is not an option, and only if:

  • they have not had brentuximab vedotin and

  • the company provides pembrolizumab according to the commercial arrangement.

Why the committee made these recommendations

Pembrolizumab is an additional treatment option for people with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Clinical trial evidence shows that pembrolizumab delays the condition getting worse. The effect of pembrolizumab on how long people live is not known because longer term evidence from the KEYNOTE‑204 trial is not available yet.

Pembrolizumab is a cost‑effective use of NHS resources for treating relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma in people who have had an autologous stem cell transplant that has not worked but have not had brentuximab vedotin and in people who have had at least 2 treatments, have not had an autologous stem cell transplant and have not had brentuximab vedotin. So, it is recommended for use in the NHS in these populations.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)