Head-to-head evidence
Pembrolizumab vs Penpulimab
Same mechanism, same race: design-graded trial evidence for both assets, with the grading rationale shown. Grades describe the quality of the evidence, never the merits of either security.
Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Shared mechanism: PD-1 · full Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer pipeline
Pembrolizumab
Marketed by Merck & Co.
NCT02142738 · Phase 3 · completed
The trial randomized 305 participants to pembrolizumab or active platinum-based chemotherapy, but treatment was open-label rather than double-blinded. Its radiographically assessed primary endpoint, 6-month progression-free survival, was met: 62.1% with pembrolizumab versus 50.3% with chemotherapy, with p<0.001 and a hazard ratio of 0.50 (95% CI 0.37–0.68).
Next expected readout: October 2026 · NCT06447662 (registry estimate)
Penpulimab
Marketed by Akeso
NCT03866993 · Phase 3 · completed
This randomized, placebo-controlled trial kept participants, care providers, investigators and outcome assessors blind to treatment assignment, with disease progression assessed by an independent radiology committee. Its primary endpoint, progression-free survival, was clearly met, roughly doubling median progression-free survival versus placebo plus chemotherapy.
The full competitive landscape for each asset (every same-race competitor with aligned evidence, sortable) is on the asset pages: Pembrolizumab's landscape · Penpulimab's landscape