Keytruda Dosages: Your GoodRx Guide

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is an intravenous (IV) infusion that treats cancer. It’s a specific kind of immunotherapy called an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Unlike chemotherapy, it helps your immune system find and attack cancer cells. It does this by blocking a protein called PD-1, which can otherwise interfere with your immune system’s ability to target cancer cells.

With infusions given only once every few weeks, Keytruda can be a convenient treatment option to consider. Here, we’ll discuss more about typical Keytruda dosages for both adults and kids.

What’s the typical Keytruda dosage for adults?

Keytruda can treat many types of cancer in adults. Adults who are receiving Keytruda typically receive the same dosage regardless of the type of cancer they have.

The recommended Keytruda dosage is either 200 mg every 3 weeks or 400 mg every 6 weeks. Both doses are given as an IV infusion (an injection given through a vein in your arm). Your cancer specialist will ultimately decide which dosage schedule is right for you.

Healthcare professionals administer these infusions in a clinic or hospital. They may be given alone or in combination with another medication, such as chemotherapy. Each infusion of Keytruda typically takes about 30 minutes.

Keytruda uses

For reference, Keytruda treats various cancers, such as:

• Melanoma, a type of skin cancer that affects cells that give your skin its color called melanocytes

• Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that occurs in the outer layer of your skin

• Merkel cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer that occurs in Merkel cells in the outer layer of your skin

• Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that affects specific cells, called squamous cells, that line certain areas of the head and neck, such as the inside of the mouth and throat

• Esophageal cancer, a type of cancer that affects the esophagus

• Non-small cell lung cancer, a common type of lung cancer

• Malignant pleural mesothelioma, a type of cancer that forms in the lining of the lungs and chest wall

• Triple-negative breast cancer, a type of breast cancer that’s not driven by HER2 or by estrogen or progesterone hormones

• Colorectal cancer, a type of cancer that occurs in your colon or rectum

• Gastric (stomach) cancer

• Renal cell carcinoma, a cancer that affects your kidneys

• Urothelial (bladder) cancer

• Cervical cancer

• Endometrial carcinoma, a cancer that forms in the lining of the uterus

• Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, the most common type of Hodgkin lymphoma which occurs in lymph nodes

• Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, a type of lymphoma that can occur in the lymph nodes behind the breast bone and between the lungs

• Cancers that have specific genetic changes like microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR), or high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H), which predict how well immunotherapy like Keytruda will work

• Liver cancer

• Biliary tract cancer, which includes cancers in certain areas of your gallbladder and bile ducts

How often is subcutaneous Keytruda administered?

Keytruda is now FDA approved in a new form that’s given as a quick injection under the skin (called a subcutaneous injection). It’s called Keytruda Qlex (pembrolizumab / berahyaluronidase alfa-pmph). It can treat all of the same solid tumors as IV Keytruda in people ages 12 years and older. The FDA approved this version in September 2025. 

In clinical trials, subcutaneous Keytruda was shown to work just as well as IV Keytruda and to be safe for treating cancer. It’s given once every 3 or 6 weeks and only takes a few minutes to inject.

This new option may offer a faster and more convenient alternative for people who are eligible, compared to IV infusions.

What’s the typical Keytruda dosage for children?

Children will receive a Keytruda dosage that’s calculated based on their body weight. The recommended Keytruda dosage for children is 2 mg per kg of body weight given by an IV infusion every 3 weeks. 

For example, if a child weighs 15 kg (33 lbs), they would receive 30 mg of Keytruda per dose. Regardless of how much a child weighs, the maximum dosage for a child is 200 mg per infusion.

Children can receive Keytruda to treat classical Hodgkin lymphoma, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, and Merkel cell cancers. It can also treat MSI-H, dMMR, or TMB-H cancers in children. Additionally, children who are at least 12 years old can receive Keytruda for melanoma. 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• The mechanism behind Keytruda (pembrolizumab): Learn how Keytruda works to treat different kinds of cancer.

• Keytruda FAQs, answered: Keytruda itself is not chemotherapy. Find out how it works in combination with chemotherapy or other cancer medications.

• Using immunotherapy for cancer: Explore key details about how and why immunotherapy medications, such as Keytruda, are used to treat cancer.

Are there any Keytruda dosage adjustments for health conditions?

No, there aren’t dosage adjustments for certain health conditions. However, your oncology team may decide to hold your Keytruda infusion depending on how your body responds to the medication.

Your cancer specialist may recommend skipping one or more doses if you develop side effects specifically caused by immunotherapy. These side effects are also known as immune-related adverse reactions, and may present as inflammation of the lung (pneumonitis), liver, or colon, among other organs. In more serious cases, they may decide to stop giving you Keytruda altogether.

Good to know: Unlike many other medications, there are no recommended Keytruda dose adjustments for people who have kidney or liver issues.

What happens if you miss a dose of Keytruda?

You’ll receive Keytruda from your cancer care team. Every dose will be given in a hospital or clinic, so you won’t ever administer an IV infusion at home.

If you miss an infusion appointment, you should contact your cancer specialist as soon as you can to reschedule the appointment. Missing a single infusion usually doesn’t mean the treatment won’t work, but your care team will decide the safest way to get you back on schedule.

What should you do if you receive too much Keytruda?

It’s unlikely that you’ll receive too much Keytruda. You’ll receive Keytruda from your cancer care team, and they’ll make sure you’re receiving the proper dosage. You won’t be in charge of preparing and injecting your doses.

How to save on Keytruda

There are ways to save on Keytruda, which is only available as a reference (brand-name) medication. GoodRx can help you navigate between copay savings cards and patient assistance programs to save money on your prescription.

• Save with a copay savings card. If you have commercial insurance, you may be eligible to pay as little as $25 for Keytruda using a savings card from the manufacturer.

• Save with patient assistance programs. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible for a patient assistance program that covers Keytruda. These programs offer the medication free of charge.

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Written by:

Dena Westphalen, PharmD

Dena Westphalen, PharmD, serves as the director of scientific affairs for Cogent Biosciences, a biotechnology company developing treatments for genetically driven diseases. Westphalen’s career spans over 15 years with experience in research and hospital settings.

Edited by:

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS

Joshua Murdock, PharmD, BCBBS, is a licensed pharmacist in Arizona, Colorado, and Rhode Island. He has worked in the pharmacy industry for more than 10 years and currently serves as a pharmacy editor for GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Rachel Feaster, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS

Rachel Feaster has over 10 years of professional experience in ambulatory, inpatient, pharmacogenomics, and oncology care. She is board certified in oncology and pharmacotherapy.

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