Keytruda vs Opdivo
Both are checkpoint inhibitors. Here is how Keytruda and Opdivo compare on class, mechanism, dosing, approval and supply.
At a glance
Key differences
- Same class. Both Keytruda and Opdivo are checkpoint inhibitors, so they work through the same broad mechanism. Differences between them tend to be about dosing, route, how selective they are, and side effects rather than what they target.
- How they are taken. Both are given by the intravenous route.
- Time on the market. Keytruda was first approved by the FDA in 2014, Opdivo in 2014.
- Who markets them. Keytruda is marketed by Merck Sharp & Dohme; Opdivo by Bristol Myers Squibb.
What each one treats
KEYTRUDA is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody indicated: Melanoma for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma. ( 1.1 ) for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with Stage IIB, IIC, or III melanoma following complete resection. ( 1.1 ) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor aberrations. ( 1.2 ) in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or paclitaxel protein-bound, as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic squamous NSCLC. ( 1.2 ) as a single agent for the first-line treatment of patients with NSCLC expressing PD-L1 [Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) ≥1%] as determined by an FDA-authorized test, with no EGFR or ALK genomic tumor ab…
OPDIVO is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1)-blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of: Melanoma • adult and pediatric (12 years and older) patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma, as a single agent or in combination with ipilimumab. (1.1) • for the adjuvant treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with completely resected Stage IIB, Stage IIC, Stage III, or Stage IV melanoma. (1.2) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) • adult patients with resectable (tumors ≥4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer in the neoadjuvant setting, in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. (1.3) • adult patients with resectable (tumors ≥4 cm or node positive) non-small cell lung cancer and no known EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements, for neoadjuvant treatment, in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy, followed by single-agent OPDIVO as adjuva…
How each one works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Binding of the PD-1 ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, to the PD-1 receptor found on T cells, inhibits T cell proliferation and cytokine production. Upregulation of PD-1 ligands occurs in some tumors and signaling through this pathway can contribute to inhibition of active T-cell immune surveillance of tumors. Pembrolizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2, releasing PD-1 pathway-mediated inhibition of the immune response, including the anti-tumor immune response. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, blocking PD-1 activity resulted in decreased tumor growth. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, combination treat…
12.1 Mechanism of Action Binding of the PD-1 ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, to the PD-1 receptor found on T cells, inhibits T-cell proliferation and cytokine production. Upregulation of PD-1 ligands occurs in some tumors and signaling through this pathway can contribute to inhibition of active T-cell immune surveillance of tumors. Nivolumab is a human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2, releasing PD-1 pathway-mediated inhibition of the immune response, including the anti-tumor immune response. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, blocking PD-1 activity resulted in decreased tumor growth. Combined nivolumab (ant…
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How this page is built
The facts on this page are pulled directly from official U.S. FDA datasets — they are not written from memory. Each field below names the dataset it came from, so you can check it yourself.
- FDA Drug Label (openFDA) ↗ Indications, mechanism of action and pharmacologic class
- Drugs@FDA ↗ First FDA approval date and the company holding the application
- FDA Drug Shortage Database ↗ Current US supply / shortage status
Plain-English summaries and drug-class explainers are written and reviewed by Sreepriya Prasannan (MSc Digital Transformation of Life Sciences (Innopharma Education / Griffith College); MSc & BSc Botany). Data is retrieved automatically from the sources above and cross-checked with AI-assisted verification (Anthropic's Claude) — brand and generic names are matched against the exact FDA product record so that a combination product or a different formulation cannot be mistaken for the drug on this page. An editor reviews the result before publication. We describe this in full in our editorial standards and corrections policy. The FDA data on this page was last retrieved on 8 Oct 2026. How every register is built: methodology · fixes we have made: corrections log.