Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has approved Pembroria, a Russian-made cancer drug containing pembrolizumab, marking a significant addition to the country’s oncology treatment options. The Drug Administration confirmed that it had authorized Pembroria as one of 14 newly licensed vaccines and biological products for circulation at the end of October.
Drug Composition and Specifications
Produced by Russia’s Limited Liability “PK-137” and registered through a facility in the United Arab Emirates, Pembroria contains 100 mg of pembrolizumab per 4 ml. The manufacturer formulates it as a concentrated solution for intravenous infusion and assigns it a 24-month shelf life from the manufacturing date. This approval broadens Vietnam’s access to advanced immunotherapy therapies used globally for cancer care.
Wide Clinical Applications
Pembroria is approved for multiple cancer types, including lung carcinoma, melanoma, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and breast cancer. By enabling access to this medication, health authorities aim to expand treatment opportunities for Vietnamese cancer patients who may benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Availability and Cost Considerations
Professor Le Van Quang, director of Hanoi’s K Hospital—one of Vietnam’s leading oncology centers—confirmed that the hospital will soon make Pembroria available to patients. However, the drug is not currently covered by Vietnam’s health insurance system. Each vial costs approximately VND18 million ($700), and most patients will require two vials per treatment cycle. At present, Vietnam has 99 cancer treatment drugs in circulation.
Additional Approvals Expand Therapeutic Landscape
As reported by e.vnexpress.net, the Ministry’s latest approvals also include a range of vaccines and biological products for conditions such as stroke, lupus, osteoporosis, skin diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, blood disorders, and multiple sclerosis. These additions further strengthen Vietnam’s portfolio of advanced therapies.
Strengthening Vietnam–Russia Healthcare Collaboration
Pembroria’s approval closely follows a Vietnam–Russia health meeting held in September, during which health minister Dao Hong Lan and Russian health minister Mikhail Murashko discussed expanding cooperation in cancer vaccine research and technology transfer. Russia had earlier announced its new cancer vaccine, calling it a potentially revolutionary step in oncology.
Minister Lan emphasized Vietnam’s readiness to deepen collaboration, especially in accessing, sharing, and transferring cancer-related vaccine technologies. Furthermore, both nations agreed to expand partnerships in rare-disease drug production, biotechnology, medical training, traditional medicine, health tourism, digital healthcare, and artificial intelligence applications.