Drug updated on 5/17/2024
Dosage Form | Injection (intravenous; 200 mg/10 mL [20 mg/mL]) |
Drug Class | Programmed death-ligand1 blocking antibodies |
Ongoing and Completed Studies | ClinicalTrials.gov |
Indication
- Indicated for adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).
- Indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy.
- Indicated for patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy.
- Indicated for first-line treatment, in combination with axitinib, of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
Latest News
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Summary
- Avelumab (Bavencio) is indicated for adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma, as well as the maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. It is also used in cases where disease progression occurs during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with such therapy. Additionally, it is indicated for first-line treatment in combination with axitinib for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
- The information was derived from a total of 15 systematic reviews/meta-analyses focusing on Bavencio (avelumab), comparing its safety and efficacy across various indications to other drugs within similar therapeutic categories, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and combination treatments involving tyrosine kinase inhibitors and chemotherapies.
- When combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors like axitinib, Bavencio demonstrates potential advantages in terms of efficacy and safety profile when treating advanced renal cell carcinoma compared to monotherapy or other combinations involving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
- As a monotherapy, compared to combination therapies using immune checkpoint inhibitors along with chemotherapies/tyrosine kinase inhibitors, Avelumab presents a more favorable safety profile. However, the choice between using it alone versus combining it with others depends upon balancing anticipated benefits against possible adverse effects.
- Its applicability across multiple types of cancers reflects its broad therapeutic potential; specifically notable is its unique benefit in addressing Merkel Cell Carcinoma, which adds an important aspect to its overall profile among available cancer treatments.
- Efficacy metrics such as progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), either when used alone or as part of a regimen, are competitive within the landscape of available treatments, especially where high PD-L1 expression or MSI-high tumors exist, making it a favorable alternative over traditional chemotherapy options.
- Clinical evidence suggests variable response rates and tolerability profiles among different patient subgroups, influenced by cancer type, staging, and biomarker status such as PD-L1 expression and microsatellite instability (MSI) status. This necessitates personalized medicine approaches in cancer treatment.
- The contrasting efficacy and safety profiles between monotherapies versus combination therapies across different types of malignancies underline the complexity of therapeutic decision-making to optimize patient outcomes.
Product Monograph / Prescribing Information
Document Title | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
Bavencio (Avelumab) Prescribing Information. | 2024 | EMD Serono, Inc., Rockland, MA |
Systematic Reviews / Meta-Analyses
Clinical Practice Guidelines
Document Title | Year | Source |
---|---|---|
Avelumab first-line maintenance treatment in advanced bladder cancer: practical implementation steps for infusion nurses. | 2022 | Journal of Infusion Nursing |
NCCN guidelines® insights: bladder cancer, version 2.2022. | 2022 | Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network |
SEOM clinical guideline for treatment of kidney cancer (2019). | 2020 | Clinical and Translational Oncology |
Bladder cancer, version 3.2020. | 2020 | Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network |