The Medical Advisor

Medically Reviewed by: OneDayMD Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026 Quick Answer (AI & Search Summary) As of 2026, the FDA has approved more than 30 cancer immunotherapy drugs across seven classes: checkpoint inhibitors (Keytruda, Opdivo, Tecentriq, Imfinzi, Bavencio, Libtayo, Jemperli, Yervoy, Opdualag), CAR-T cell therapies (Kymriah, Yescarta, Tecartus, Breyanzi, Abecma, Carvykti, Tecelra), TIL cell therapy (Amtagvi), bispecific T-cell engagers (Blincyto, Tecvayli, Talvey, Elrexfio, Epkinly, Columvi, Lunsumio, Kimmtrak, Imdelltra), immunomodulatory drugs (Revlimid, Pomalyst, Thalomid), and therapeutic vaccines (TICE BCG, Provenge). Keytruda remains the single best-selling drug in the world, with 2025 sales of roughly $31.7 billion. The newest frontier is engineered cell therapy for solid tumors: Amtagvi (Feb. 2024) and Tecelra (Aug. 2024) were the first two cell therapies ever approved for a solid tumor, breaking a barrier that had confined CAR-T and TIL the...

Cancer immunotherapy represents a major paradigm shift in oncology — mobilizing a patient's own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, rather than relying solely on surgery, radiation, or cytotoxic chemotherapy. It has emerged as a fourth pillar of effective cancer treatment , offering durable responses and, in select cancers, the potential for long-term remission. Immunotherapy became widely known when former President Jimmy Carter’s medical team used it to treat his metastatic melanoma cancer. When the former president announced in August, 2015 that malignant tumors had been found in both his liver and his brain, most people presumed that he would be dead within months. But just four months later he surprised the world with the news that, following a remarkable and revolutionary new treatment, there was no sign of cancer in his body. The treatment he received was a drug classified as an “immune checkpoint inhibitor”. This class of medications has kicked off a revolut...