Dosage Form: injection, solution
FULL PRESCRIBING INFORMATION
Gastrointestinal Perforations
The incidence of gastrointestinal perforation, some fatal, in Avastin‑treated patients ranges from 0.3 to 2.4%. Discontinue Avastin in patients with gastrointestinal perforation. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.1).]
Surgery and Wound Healing Complications
The incidence of wound healing and surgical complications, including serious and fatal complications, is increased in Avastin‑treated patients. Discontinue Avastin in patients with wound dehiscence. The appropriate interval between termination of Avastin and subsequent elective surgery required to reduce the risks of impaired wound healing/wound dehiscence has not been determined. Discontinue at least 28 days prior to elective surgery. Do not initiate Avastin for at least 28 days after surgery and until the surgical wound is fully healed. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.2), Adverse Reactions (6.1).]
Hemorrhage
Severe or fatal hemorrhage, including hemoptysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, central nervous systems (CNS) hemorrhage, epistaxis, and vaginal bleeding occurred up to five‑fold more frequently in patients receiving Avastin. Do not administer Avastin to patients with serious hemorrhage or recent hemoptysis. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.3), Adverse Reactions (6.1).]
Indications and Usage for Avastin
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)
Avastin is indicated for the first‑ or second‑line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum in combination with intravenous 5‑fluorouracil‑based chemotherapy.
Non‑Squamous Non‑Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Avastin is indicated for the first‑line treatment of unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non‑squamous non‑small cell lung cancer in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel.
Glioblastoma
Avastin is indicated for the treatment of glioblastoma with progressive disease in adult patients following prior therapy as a single agent.
The effectiveness of Avastin in glioblastoma is based on an improvement in objective response rate. There are no data demonstrating an improvement in disease‑related symptoms or increased survival with Avastin. [See Clinical Studies (14.3).]
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC)
Avastin is indicated for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma in combination with interferon alfa.
Avastin Dosage and Administration
Administration
Do not administer as an intravenous push or bolus. Administer only as an intravenous (IV) infusion.
- Do not initiate Avastin until at least 28 days following major surgery. Administer Avastin after the surgical incision has fully healed.
- First infusion: Administer infusion over 90 minutes.
- Subsequent infusions: Administer second infusion over 60 minutes if first infusion is tolerated; administer all subsequent infusions over 30 minutes if infusion over 60 minutes is tolerated.
Recommended Doses and Schedules
Patients should continue treatment until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)
The recommended doses are 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks when used in combination with intravenous 5‑FU‑based chemotherapy.
- Administer 5 mg/kg when used in combination with bolus‑IFL.
- Administer 10 mg/kg when used in combination with FOLFOX4.
Non‑Squamous Non‑Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
The recommended dose is 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel.
Glioblastoma
The recommended dose is 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks.
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC)
The recommended dose is 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks in combination with interferon alfa.
Preparation for Administration
Use appropriate aseptic technique. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. Withdraw necessary amount of Avastin and dilute in a total volume of 100 mL of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP. Discard any unused portion left in a vial, as the product contains no preservatives.
DO NOT ADMINISTER OR MIX WITH DEXTROSE SOLUTION.
Dose Modifications
There are no recommended dose reductions.
Discontinue Avastin for:
- Gastrointestinal perforations (gastrointestinal perforations, fistula formation in the gastrointestinal tract, intra‑abdominal abscess), fistula formation involving an internal organ [See Boxed Warning, Warnings and Precautions (5.1, 5.4).]
- Wound dehiscence and wound healing complications requiring medical intervention [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2).]
- Serious hemorrhage (i.e., requiring medical intervention) [See Boxed Warning, Warnings and Precautions (5.3).]
- Severe arterial thromboembolic events [See Warnings and Precautions (5.5).]
- Hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy [See Warnings and Precautions (5.6).]
- Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) [See Warnings and Precautions (5.7).]
- Nephrotic syndrome [See Warnings and Precautions (5.8).]
Temporarily suspend Avastin for:
- At least 4 weeks prior to elective surgery [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2).]
- Severe hypertension not controlled with medical management [See Warnings and Precautions (5.6).]
- Moderate to severe proteinuria pending further evaluation [See Warnings and Precautions (5.8).]
- Severe infusion reactions [See Warnings and Precautions (5.9).]
Dosage Forms and Strengths
100 mg per 4 mL single‑use vial
400 mg per 16 mL single‑use vial
Contraindications
None.
Warnings and Precautions
Gastrointestinal Perforations
Serious and sometimes fatal gastrointestinal perforation occurs at a higher incidence in Avastin treated patients compared to controls. The incidence of gastrointestinal perforation ranged from 0.3 to 2.4% across clinical studies. [See Adverse Reactions (6.1).]
The typical presentation may include abdominal pain, nausea, emesis, constipation, and fever. Perforation can be complicated by intra‑abdominal abscess and fistula formation. The majority of cases occurred within the first 50 days of initiation of Avastin.
Discontinue Avastin in patients with gastrointestinal perforation. [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Surgery and Wound Healing Complications
Avastin impairs wound healing in animal models. [See Nonclinical Toxicology (13.2).] In clinical trials, administration of Avastin was not allowed until at least 28 days after surgery. In a controlled clinical trial, the incidence of wound healing complications, including serious and fatal complications, in patients with mCRC who underwent surgery during the course of Avastin treatment was 15% and in patients who did not receive Avastin, was 4%. [See Adverse Reactions (6.1).]
Avastin should not be initiated for at least 28 days following surgery and until the surgical wound is fully healed. Discontinue Avastin in patients with wound healing complications requiring medical intervention.
The appropriate interval between the last dose of Avastin and elective surgery is unknown; however, the half‑life of Avastin is estimated to be 20 days. Suspend Avastin for at least 28 days prior to elective surgery. Do not administer Avastin until the wound is fully healed. [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Hemorrhage
Avastin can result in two distinct patterns of bleeding: minor hemorrhage, most commonly Grade 1 epistaxis; and serious, and in some cases fatal, hemorrhagic events. Severe or fatal hemorrhage, including hemoptysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, hematemesis, CNS hemorrhage, epistaxis, and vaginal bleeding occurred up to five‑fold more frequently in patients receiving Avastin compared to patients receiving only chemotherapy. Across indications, the incidence of Grade ≥3 hemorrhagic events among patients receiving Avastin ranged from 1.2 to 4.6%. [See Adverse Reactions (6.1).]
Serious or fatal pulmonary hemorrhage occurred in four of 13 (31%) patients with squamous cell histology and two of 53 (4%) patients with non‑squamous non‑small cell lung cancer receiving Avastin and chemotherapy compared to none of the 32 (0%) patients receiving chemotherapy alone.
In clinical studies in non‑small cell lung cancer where patients with CNS metastases who completed radiation and surgery more than 4 weeks prior to the start of Avastin were evaluated with serial CNS imaging, symptomatic Grade 2 CNS hemorrhage was documented in one of 83 Avastin‑treated patients (rate 1.2%, 95% CI 0.06%–5.93%).
Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in 8 of 163 patients with previously treated glioblastoma; two patients had Grade 3–4 hemorrhage.
Do not administer Avastin to patients with recent history of hemoptysis of ≥1/2 teaspoon of red blood. Discontinue Avastin in patients with hemorrhage. [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Non‑Gastrointestinal Fistula Formation
Serious and sometimes fatal non‑gastrointestinal fistula formation involving tracheo‑esophageal, bronchopleural, biliary, vaginal, renal and bladder sites occurs at a higher incidence in Avastin‑treated patients compared to controls. The incidence of non‑gastrointestinal perforation was ≤0.3% in clinical studies. Most events occurred within the first 6 months of Avastin therapy.
Discontinue Avastin in patients with fistula formation involving an internal organ. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Arterial Thromboembolic Events
Serious, sometimes fatal, arterial thromboembolic events (ATE) including cerebral infarction, transient ischemic attacks, myocardial infarction, angina, and a variety of other ATE occurred at a higher incidence in patients receiving Avastin compared to those in the control arm. Across indications, the incidence of Grade ≥ 3 ATE in the Avastin containing arms was 2.6% compared to 0.8% in the control arms. Among patients receiving Avastin in combination with chemotherapy, the risk of developing ATE during therapy was increased in patients with a history of arterial thromboembolism, or age greater than 65 years. [See Use in Specific Populations (8.5).]
The safety of resumption of Avastin therapy after resolution of an ATE has not been studied. Discontinue Avastin in patients who experience a severe ATE. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Hypertension
The incidence of severe hypertension is increased in patients receiving Avastin as compared to controls. Across clinical studies the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 hypertension ranged from 5–18%.
Monitor blood pressure every two to three weeks during treatment with Avastin. Treat with appropriate anti‑hypertensive therapy and monitor blood pressure regularly. Continue to monitor blood pressure at regular intervals in patients with Avastin‑induced or ‑exacerbated hypertension after discontinuation of Avastin.
Temporarily suspend Avastin in patients with severe hypertension that is not controlled with medical management. Discontinue Avastin in patients with hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS)
RPLS has been reported with an incidence of <0.1% in clinical studies. The onset of symptoms occurred from 16 hours to 1 year after initiation of Avastin. RPLS is a neurological disorder which can present with headache, seizure, lethargy, confusion, blindness and other visual and neurologic disturbances. Mild to severe hypertension may be present. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is necessary to confirm the diagnosis of RPLS.
Discontinue Avastin in patients developing RPLS. Symptoms usually resolve or improve within days, although some patients have experienced ongoing neurologic sequelae. The safety of reinitiating Avastin therapy in patients previously experiencing RPLS is not known. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Proteinuria
The incidence and severity of proteinuria is increased in patients receiving Avastin as compared to controls. Nephrotic syndrome occurred in < 1% of patients receiving Avastin in clinical trials, in some instances with fatal outcome. [See Adverse Reactions (6.1).] In a published case series, kidney biopsy of six patients with proteinuria showed findings consistent with thrombotic microangiopathy.
Monitor proteinuria by dipstick urine analysis for the development or worsening of proteinuria with serial urinalyses during Avastin therapy. Patients with a 2+ or greater urine dipstick reading should undergo further assessment with a 24‑hour urine collection.
Suspend Avastin administration for ≥ 2 grams of proteinuria/24 hours and resume when proteinuria is < 2 gm/24 hours. Discontinue Avastin in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Data from a postmarketing safety study showed poor correlation between UPCR (Urine Protein/Creatinine Ratio) and 24 hour urine protein (Pearson Correlation 0.39 (95% CI 0.17, 0.57). [See Use in Specific Populations (8.5).] The safety of continued Avastin treatment in patients with moderate to severe proteinuria has not been evaluated. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Infusion Reactions
Infusion reactions reported in the clinical trials and post‑marketing experience include hypertension, hypertensive crises associated with neurologic signs and symptoms, wheezing, oxygen desaturation, Grade 3 hypersensitivity, chest pain, headaches, rigors, and diaphoresis. In clinical studies, infusion reactions with the first dose of Avastin were uncommon (< 3%) and severe reactions occurred in 0.2% of patients.
Stop infusion if a severe infusion reaction occurs and administer appropriate medical therapy. [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Ovarian Failure
The incidence of ovarian failure was higher (34% vs. 2%) in premenopausal women receiving Avastin in combination with mFOLFOX chemotherapy as compared to those receiving mFOLFOX chemotherapy alone for adjuvant treatment for colorectal cancer, a use for which Avastin is not approved. Inform females of reproductive potential of the risk of ovarian failure prior to starting treatment with Avastin. [See Adverse Reactions (6.1), Use in Specific Populations (8.6).]
Adverse Reactions
The following serious adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label:
- Gastrointestinal Perforations [See Boxed Warning , Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.1).]
- Surgery and Wound Healing Complications [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.2).]
- Hemorrhage [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.3).]
- Non‑Gastrointestinal Fistula Formation [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.4).]
- Arterial Thromboembolic Events [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.5).]
- Hypertensive Crisis [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.6).]
- Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.7).]
- Proteinuria [See Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.8).]
- Ovarian Failure [See Warnings and Precautions (5.10), Use in Specific Populations (8.6).]
The most common adverse reactions observed in Avastin patients at a rate > 10% and at least twice the control arm rate, are epistaxis, headache, hypertension, rhinitis, proteinuria, taste alteration, dry skin, rectal hemorrhage, lacrimation disorder, back pain and exfoliative dermatitis.
Across all studies, Avastin was discontinued in 8.4 to 21% of patients because of adverse reactions.
Clinical Trial Experience
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The data below reflect exposure to Avastin in 3795 patients with CRC, non‑squamous NSCLC, MBC, glioblastoma, or mRCC trials including controlled (Studies 1, 2, 4, and 7) or uncontrolled, single arm (Study 5) treated at the recommended dose and schedule for a median of 8 to 23 doses of Avastin. [See Clinical Studies (14).] Data also reflect exposure to Avastin in 363 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who received a median of 9.5 doses of Avastin, an indication for which Avastin is not approved. The population was aged 18–88 years (median 59), 43.2% male and 85.3% white. The population included 1783 first‑ and second‑line mCRC patients who received a median of 10 doses of Avastin, 669 female adjuvant CRC patients who received a median of 23 doses of Avastin, 480 first‑line metastatic NSCLC patients who received a median of 8 doses of Avastin, 163 glioblastoma patients who received a median of 9 doses of Avastin, and 337 mRCC patients who received a median of 16 doses of Avastin.
Surgery and Wound Healing Complications
The incidence of post‑operative wound healing and/or bleeding complications was increased in patients with mCRC receiving Avastin as compared to patients receiving only chemotherapy. Among patients requiring surgery on or within 60 days of receiving study treatment, wound healing and/or bleeding complications occurred in 15% (6/39) of patients receiving bolus‑IFL plus Avastin as compared to 4% (1/25) of patients who received bolus‑IFL alone.
In Study 5, events of post‑operative wound healing complications (craniotomy site wound dehiscence and cerebrospinal fluid leak) occurred in patients with previously treated glioblastoma: 3/84 patients in the Avastin alone arm and 1/79 patients in the Avastin plus irinotecan arm. [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.2).]
Hemorrhage
The incidence of epistaxis was higher (35% vs. 10%) in patients with mCRC receiving bolus‑IFL plus Avastin compared with patients receiving bolus‑IFL plus placebo. All but one of these events were Grade 1 in severity and resolved without medical intervention. Grade 1 or 2 hemorrhagic events were more frequent in patients receiving bolus‑IFL plus Avastin when compared to those receiving bolus‑IFL plus placebo and included gastrointestinal hemorrhage (24% vs. 6%), minor gum bleeding (2% vs. 0), and vaginal hemorrhage (4% vs. 2%). [See Boxed Warning, Dosage and Administration (2.4), Warnings and Precautions (5.3).]
Venous Thromboembolic Events
The overall incidence of Grade 3−4 venous thromboembolic events in Study 1 was 15.1% in patients receiving bolus-IFL plus Avastin and 13.6% in patients receiving bolus-IFL plus placebo. In Study 1, more patients in the Avastin containing arm experienced deep venous thrombosis (34 vs. 19 patients) and intra-abdominal venous thrombosis (10 vs. 5 patients).
The risk of developing a second thromboembolic event while on Avastin and oral anticoagulants was evaluated in two randomized studies. In Study 1, 53 patients (14%) on the bolus-IFL plus Avastin arm and 30 patients (8%) on the bolus-IFL plus placebo arm received full dose warfarin following a venous thromboembolic event (VTE). Among these patients, an additional thromboembolic event occurred in 21% (11/53) of patients receiving bolus-IFL plus Avastin and 3% (1/30) of patients receiving bolus-IFL alone.
In a second, randomized, 4-arm study in 1401 patients with mCRC, prospectively evaluating the incidence of VTE (all grades), the overall incidence of first VTE was higher in the Avastin containing arms (13.5%) than the chemotherapy alone arms (9.6%). Among the 116 patients treated with anticoagulants following an initial VTE event (73 in the Avastin plus chemotherapy arms and 43 in the chemotherapy alone arms), the overall incidence of subsequent VTEs was also higher among the Avastin treated patients (31.5% vs. 25.6%). In this subgroup of patients treated with anticoagulants, the overall incidence of bleeding, the majority of which were Grade 1, was higher in the Avastin treated arms than the chemotherapy arms (27.4% vs. 20.9%). [See Dosage and Administration (2.4).]
Neutropenia and Infection
The incidences of neutropenia and febrile neutropenia are increased in patients receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone. In Study 1, the incidence of Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was increased in mCRC patients receiving IFL plus Avastin (21%) compared to patients receiving IFL alone (14%). In Study 4, the incidence of Grade 4 neutropenia was increased in NSCLC patients receiving paclitaxel/carboplatin (PC) plus Avastin (26.2%) compared with patients receiving PC alone (17.2%). Febrile neutropenia was also increased (5.4% for PC plus Avastin vs. 1.8% for PC alone). There were 19 (4.5%) infections with Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in the PC plus Avastin arm of which 3 were fatal compared to 9 (2%) neutropenic infections in patients receiving PC alone, of which none were fatal. During the first 6 cycles of treatment, the incidence of serious infections including pneumonia, febrile neutropenia, catheter infections and wound infections was increased in the PC plus Avastin arm [58 patients (13.6%)] compared to the PC alone arm [29 patients (6.6%)].
In Study 5, one fatal event of neutropenic infection occurred in a patient with previously treated glioblastoma receiving Avastin alone. The incidence of any grade of infection in patients receiving Avastin alone was 55% and the incidence of Grade 3–5 infection was 10%.
Proteinuria
Grade 3‑4 proteinuria ranged from 0.7 to 7.4% in Studies 1, 2, 4 and 7. The overall incidence of proteinuria (all grades) was only adequately assessed in Study 7, in which the incidence was 20%. Median onset of proteinuria was 5.6 months (range 15 days to 37 months) after initiation of Avastin. Median time to resolution was 6.1 months (95% CI 2.8 months, 11.3 months). Proteinuria did not resolve in 40% of patients after median follow up of 11.2 months and required permanent discontinuation of Avastin in 30% of the patients who developed proteinuria (Study 7). [See Warnings and Precautions (5.8).]
Congestive Heart Failure
The incidence of Grade ≥ 3 left ventricular dysfunction was 1.0% in patients receiving Avastin compared to 0.6% in the control arm across indications. In patients with metastatic breast cancer MBC, an indication for which Avastin is not approved, the incidence of Grade 3–4 congestive heart failure (CHF) was increased in patients in the Avastin plus paclitaxel arm (2.2 %) as compared to the control arm (0.3%). Among patients receiving prior anthracyclines for MBC, the rate of CHF was 3.8% for patients receiving Avastin as compared to 0.6 % for patients receiving paclitaxel alone. The safety of continuation or resumption of Avastin in patients with cardiac dysfunction has not been studied.
Ovarian Failure
The incidence of new cases of ovarian failure (defined as amenorrhoea lasting 3 or more months, FSH level ≥30 mIU/mL and a negative serum β-HCG pregnancy test) was prospectively evaluated in a subset of 179 women receiving mFOLFOX chemotherapy alone (n=84 or with Avastin (n=95). New cases of ovarian failure were identified in 34% (32/95) of women receiving Avastin in combination with chemotherapy compared with 2% (2/84) of women receiving chemotherapy alone [relative risk of 14 (95% CI 4, 53)]. After discontinuation of Avastin treatment, recovery of ovarian function at all time points during the post-treatment period was demonstrated in 22% (7/32) of the Avastin-treated women. Recovery of ovarian function is defined as resumption of menses, a positive serum β -HCG pregnancy test, or a FSH level <30 mIU/mL during the post-treatment period. Long term effects of Avastin exposure on fertility are unknown. [See Warnings and Precautions (5.10), Use in Specific Populations (8.6).]
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)
The data in Table 1 and Table 2 were obtained in Study 1, a randomized, double‑blind, controlled trial comparing chemotherapy plus Avastin with chemotherapy plus placebo. Avastin was administered at 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks.
All Grade 3–4 adverse events and selected Grade 1–2 adverse events (hypertension, proteinuria, thromboembolic events) were collected in the entire study population. Severe and life‑threatening (Grade 3–4) adverse events, which occurred at a higher incidence (≥ 2%) in patients receiving bolus‑IFL plus Avastin as compared to bolus‑IFL plus placebo, are presented in Table 1.
| Arm 1 IFL + Placebo (n = 396) | Arm 2 IFL + Avastin (n = 392) | |
| a Central laboratories were collected on Days 1 and 21 of each cycle. Neutrophil counts are available in 303 patients in Arm 1 and 276 in Arm 2. | ||
| NCI‑CTC Grade 3–4 Events | 74% | 87% |
| Body as a Whole | ||
| Asthenia | 7% | 10% |
| Abdominal Pain | 5% | 8% |
| Pain | 5% | 8% |
| Cardiovascular | ||
| Hypertension | 2% | 12% |
| Deep Vein Thrombosis | 5% | 9% |
| Intra‑Abdominal Thrombosis | 1% | 3% |
| Syncope | 1% | 3% |
| Digestive | ||
| Diarrhea | 25% | 34% |
| Constipation | 2% | 4% |
| Hemic/Lymphatic | ||
| Leukopenia | 31% | 37% |
| Neutropeniaa | 14% | 21% |
Grade 1–4 adverse events which occurred at a higher incidence (≥5%) in patients receiving bolus‑IFL plus Avastin as compared to the bolus‑IFL plus placebo arm, are presented in Table 2. Grade 1–4 adverse events were collected for the first approximately 100 patients in each of the three treatment arms who were enrolled until enrollment in Arm 3 (5‑FU/LV + Avastin) was discontinued.
| Arm 1 IFL + Placebo (n = 98) | Arm 2 IFL + Avastin (n = 102) | Arm 3 5‑FU/LV + Avastin (n = 109) | |
| Body as a Whole | |||
| Pain | 55% | 61% | 62% |
| Abdominal Pain | 55% | 61% | 50% |
| Headache | 19% | 26% | 26% |
| Cardiovascular | |||
| Hypertension | 14% | 23% | 34% |
| Hypotension | 7% | 15% | 7% |
| Deep Vein Thrombosis | 3% | 9% | 6% |
| Digestive | |||
| Vomiting | 47% | 52% | 47% |
| Anorexia | 30% | 43% | 35% |
| Constipation | 29% | 40% | 29% |
| Stomatitis | 18% | 32% | 30% |
| Dyspepsia | 15% | 24% | 17% |
| GI Hemorrhage | 6% | 24% | 19% |
| Weight Loss | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| Dry Mouth | 2% | 7% | 4% |
| Colitis | 1% | 6% | 1% |
| Hemic/Lymphatic | |||
| Thrombocytopenia | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Nervous | |||
| Dizziness | 20% | 26% | 19% |
| Respiratory | |||
| Upper Respiratory Infection | 39% | 47% | 40% |
| Epistaxis | 10% | 35% | 32% |
| Dyspnea | 15% | 26% | 25% |
| Voice Alteration | 2% | 9% | 6% |
| Skin/Appendages | |||
| Alopecia | 26% | 32% | 6% |
| Skin Ulcer | 1% | 6% | 6% |
| Special Senses | |||
| Taste Disorder | 9% | 14% | 21% |
| Urogenital | |||
| Proteinuria | 24% | 36% | 36% |
Avastin in Combination with FOLFOX4 in Second‑line mCRC
Only Grade 3–5 non‑hematologic and Grade 4–5 hematologic adverse events related to treatment were collected in Study 2. The most frequent adverse events (selected Grade 3–5 non‑hematologic and Grade 4‑5 hematologic adverse events) occurring at a higher incidence (≥ 2%) in 287 patients receiving FOLFOX4 plus Avastin compared to 285 patients receiving FOLFOX4 alone were fatigue (19% vs. 13%), diarrhea (18% vs. 13%), sensory neuropathy (17% vs. 9%), nausea (12% vs. 5%), vomiting (11% vs. 4%), dehydration (10% vs. 5%), hypertension (9% vs. 2%), abdominal pain (8% vs. 5%), hemorrhage (5% vs. 1%), other neurological (5% vs. 3%), ileus (4% vs. 1%) and headache (3% vs. 0%). These data are likely to under‑estimate the true adverse event rates due to the reporting mechanisms used in Study 2.
Unresectable Non‑Squamous Non‑Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Only Grade 3–5 non‑hematologic and Grade 4–5 hematologic adverse events were collected in Study 4. Grade 3–5 non‑hematologic and Grade 4–5 hematologic adverse events (occurring at a higher incidence (≥ 2%) in 427 patients receiving PC plus Avastin compared with 441 patients receiving PC alone were neutropenia (27% vs. 17%), fatigue (16% vs. 13%), hypertension (8% vs. 0.7%), infection without neutropenia (7% vs. 3%), venous thrombus/embolism (5% vs. 3%), febrile neutropenia (5% vs. 2%), pneumonitis/pulmonary infiltrates (5% vs. 3%), infection with Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia (4% vs. 2%), hyponatremia (4% vs. 1%), headache (3% vs. 1%) and proteinuria (3% vs. 0%).
Glioblastoma
All adverse events were collected in 163 patients enrolled in Study 5 who either received Avastin alone or Avastin plus irinotecan. All patients received prior radiotherapy and temozolomide. Avastin was administered at 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks alone or in combination with irinotecan. Avastin was discontinued due to adverse events in 4.8% of patients treated with Avastin alone.
In patients receiving Avastin alone (N=84), the most frequently reported adverse events of any grade were infection (55%), fatigue (45%), headache (37%), hypertension (30%), epistaxis (19%) and diarrhea (21%). Of these, the incidence of Grade ≥3 adverse events was infection (10%), fatigue (4%), headache (4%), hypertension (8%) and diarrhea (1%). Two deaths on study were possibly related to Avastin: one retroperitoneal hemorrhage and one neutropenic infection.
In patients receiving Avastin alone or Avastin plus irinotecan (N=163), the incidence of Avastin–related adverse events (Grade 1–4) were bleeding/hemorrhage (40%), epistaxis (26%), CNS hemorrhage (5%), hypertension (32%), venous thromboembolic event (8%), arterial thromboembolic event (6%), wound‑healing complications (6%), proteinuria (4%), gastrointestinal perforation (2%), and RPLS (1%). The incidence of Grade 3–5 events in these 163 patients were bleeding/hemorrhage (2%), CNS hemorrhage (1%), hypertension (5%), venous thromboembolic event (7%), arterial thromboembolic event (3%), wound‑healing complications (3%), proteinuria (1%), and gastrointestinal perforation (2%).
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC)
All grade adverse events were collected in Study 7. Grade 3–5 adverse events occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in 337 patients receiving interferon alfa (IFN‑α) plus Avastin compared to 304 patients receiving IFN‑α plus placebo arm were fatigue (13% vs. 8%), asthenia (10% vs. 7%), proteinuria (7% vs. 0%), hypertension (6% vs. 1%; including hypertension and hypertensive crisis), and hemorrhage (3% vs. 0.3%; including epistaxis, small intestinal hemorrhage, aneurysm ruptured, gastric ulcer hemorrhage, gingival bleeding, haemoptysis, hemorrhage intracranial, large intestinal hemorrhage, respiratory tract hemorrhage, and traumatic hematoma).
Grade 1–5 adverse events occurring at a higher incidence (≥5%) in patients receiving IFN‑α plus Avastin compared to the IFN‑α plus placebo arm are presented in Table 3.
| System Organ Class/Preferred terma | IFN‑α + Placebo (n = 304) | IFN‑α + Avastin (n = 337) |
| aAdverse events were encoded using MedDRA, Version 10.1 | ||
| Gastrointestinal disorders | ||
| Diarrhea | 16% | 21% |
| General disorders and administration site conditions | ||
| Fatigue | 27% | 33% |
| Investigations | ||
| Weight decreased | 15% | 20% |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders | ||
| Anorexia | 31% | 36% |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | ||
| Myalgia | 14% | 19% |
| Back pain | 6% | 12% |
| Nervous system disorders | ||
| Headache | 16% | 24% |
| Renal and urinary disorders | ||
| Proteinuria | 3% | 20% |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | ||
| Epistaxis | 4% | 27% |
| Dysphonia | 0% | 5% |
| Vascular disorders | ||
| Hypertension | 9% | 28% |
The following adverse events were reported at a 5‑fold greater incidence in the IFN‑α plus Avastin arm compared to IFN‑α alone and not represented in Table 3: gingival bleeding (13 patients vs. 1 patient); rhinitis (9 vs.0 ); blurred vision (8 vs. 0); gingivitis (8 vs. 1); gastroesophageal reflux disease (8 vs.1 ); tinnitus (7 vs. 1); tooth abscess (7 vs.0); mouth ulceration (6 vs. 0); acne (5 vs. 0); deafness (5 vs. 0); gastritis (5 vs. 0); gingival pain (5 vs. 0) and pulmonary embolism (5 vs. 1).
Immunogenicity
As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential for immunogenicity. The incidence of antibody development in patients receiving Avastin has not been adequately determined because the assay sensitivity was inadequate to reliably detect lower titers. Enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed on sera from approximately 500 patients treated with Avastin, primarily in combination with chemotherapy. High titer human anti‑Avastin antibodies were not detected.
Immunogenicity data are highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally, the observed incidence of antibody positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors, including sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease. For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of antibodies to Avastin with the incidence of antibodies to other products may be misleading.
Postmarketing Experience
The following adverse reactions have been identified during post‑approval use of Avastin. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
Body as a Whole: Polyserositis
Cardiovascular: Pulmonary hypertension, RPLS, Mesenteric venous occlusion
Eye disorders (from unapproved intravitreal use for treatment of various ocular disorders): Permanent loss of vision; Endophthalmitis (infectious and sterile); Intraocular inflammation; Retinal detachment; Increased intraocular pressure; Hemorrhage including conjunctival, vitreous hemorrhage or retinal hemorrhage; Vitreous floaters; Ocular hyperemia; Ocular pain or discomfort
Gastrointestinal: Gastrointestinal ulcer, Intestinal necrosis, Anastomotic ulceration
Hemic and lymphatic: Pancytopenia
Musculoskeletal: Osteonecrosis of the jaw
Renal: Renal thrombotic microangiopathy (manifested as severe proteinuria)
Respiratory: Nasal septum perforation, dysphonia
Systemic Events (from unapproved intravitreal use for treatment of various ocular disorders): Arterial thromboembolic events, Hypertension, Gastrointestinal perforation, Hemorrhage
Drug Interactions
A drug interaction study was performed in which irinotecan was administered as part of the FOLFIRI regimen with or without Avastin. The results demonstrated no significant effect of bevacizumab on the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan or its active metabolite SN38.
In a randomized study in 99 patients with NSCLC, based on limited data, there did not appear to be a difference in the mean exposure of either carboplatin or paclitaxel when each was administered alone or in combination with Avastin. However, 3 of the 8 patients receiving Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin had substantially lower paclitaxel exposure after four cycles of treatment (at Day 63) than those at Day 0, while patients receiving paclitaxel/carboplatin without Avastin had a greater paclitaxel exposure at Day 63 than at Day 0.
In Study 7, there was no difference in the mean exposure of interferon alfa administered in combination with Avastin when compared to interferon alfa alone.
USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category C
There are no adequate or well controlled studies of bevacizumab in pregnant women. While it is not known if bevacizumab crosses the placenta, human IgG is known to cross the placenta. Reproduction studies in rabbits treated with approximately 1 to 12 times the recommended human dose of bevacizumab demonstrated teratogenicity, including an increased incidence of specific gross and skeletal fetal alterations. Adverse fetal outcomes were observed at all doses tested. Other observed effects included decreases in maternal and fetal body weights and an increased number of fetal resorptions. [See Nonclinical Toxicology (13.3).]
Because of the observed teratogenic effects of bevacizumab in animals and of other inhibitors of angiogenesis in humans, bevacizumab should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit to the pregnant woman justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Nursing Mothers
It is not known whether Avastin is secreted in human milk. Human IgG is excreted in human milk, but published data suggest that breast milk antibodies do not enter the neonatal
No comments:
Post a Comment