Indications & Important Safety Information
Indications
Stage III or IV ovarian cancer (OC) after primary surgery
Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Avastin as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer following initial surgical resection.
Avastin, in combination with paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, or topotecan, is indicated for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who received no more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens.
Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, or with carboplatin and gemcitabine, followed by Avastin as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer.
Persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer (CC)
Avastin, in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin or paclitaxel and topotecan, is indicated for the treatment of patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer.
Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC)
Avastin, in combination with interferon alfa, is indicated for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM)
Avastin is indicated for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma in adults.
First-line non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, is indicated for the first‑line treatment of patients with unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non–squamous non–small cell lung cancer.
Metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC)
Avastin, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first‑ or second‑line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.
Avastin, in combination with fluoropyrimidine-irinotecan- or fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy, is indicated for the second-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have progressed on a first-line bevacizumab product-containing regimen.
Limitation of Use: Avastin is not indicated for adjuvant treatment of colon cancer.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Avastin, in combination with atezolizumab, is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma who have not received prior systemic therapy.
Serious adverse reactions (Warnings and Precautions)
- Serious and sometimes fatal adverse reactions with increased incidence in the Avastin-treated arm vs chemotherapy arm included:
- Gastrointestinal (GI) perforation ranged from 0.3% to 3% of patients across clinical studies
- Non-GI fistulae (<1% to 1.8%, highest in patients with cervical cancer)
- Arterial thromboembolic events (Grade ≥3, 5%, highest in patients with GBM)
- The incidence of wound healing and surgical complications, including serious and fatal complications, is increased in Avastin-treated patients
- Hemorrhage (Grade 3–5) ranged from 0.4% to 7% of patients across clinical studies
- Renal injury and proteinuria
- Grade 3–4 proteinuria ranged from 0.7% to 7% in clinical studies
- Nephrotic syndrome (<1%)
- Additional serious adverse reactions with increased incidence in the Avastin-treated arm vs chemotherapy arm included:
- Venous thromboembolism (Grade ≥3, 11% seen in GOG-0240)
- Hypertension (Grade 3–4, 5%–18%)
- Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) (<0.5%)
- Congestive heart failure (CHF): Grade ≥3 left ventricular dysfunction (1%)
- Infusion-related reactions with the first dose of Avastin occurred in <3% of patients, and severe reactions occurred in 0.4% of patients
- Avoid use in patients with ovarian cancer who have evidence of recto-sigmoid involvement by pelvic examination or bowel involvement on CT scan or clinical symptoms of bowel obstruction
- Inform females of reproductive potential of the risk of ovarian failure prior to initiating treatment with Avastin
- An evaluation for the presence of varices is recommended within 6 months of initiation of Avastin in patients with HCC
Pregnancy warning
- Based on the mechanism of action and animal studies, Avastin may cause fetal harm
- Advise female patients that Avastin may cause fetal harm, and to inform their healthcare provider of a known or suspected pregnancy
- Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with Avastin and for 6 months after the last dose of Avastin
- Advise nursing women not to breastfeed during treatment with Avastin and for 6 months following their last dose of treatment
- Avastin may impair fertility
Most common adverse reactions
- Across studies, the most common adverse reactions observed in Avastin patients at a rate >10% were:
- Epistaxis
- Headache
- Hypertension
- Rhinitis
- Proteinuria
- Taste alteration
- Dry skin
- Hemorrhage
- Lacrimation disorder
- Back pain
- Exfoliative dermatitis
- Across all studies, Avastin was discontinued in 8% to 22% of patients because of adverse reactions
Indication-specific adverse reactions
- In Stage III or IV OC after primary surgery, 608 patients received CP+Avastin→Avastin, 607 patients received CP+Avastin→PBO, and 602 patients received CP+PBO→PBO. Grade 3–4 adverse reactions occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in either of the Avastin arms vs the chemotherapy only arm were fatigue (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 9%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 6%; CP+PBO→PBO, 6%), hypertension (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 10%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 6%; CP+PBO→PBO, 2%), platelet count decreased (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 21%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 20%; CP+PBO→PBO, 15%), and white blood cell count decreased (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 51%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 53%; CP+PBO→PBO, 50%)
- In psOC, Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions in the OCEANS study occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in 247 patients receiving Avastin plus carboplatin and gemcitabine (chemotherapy), compared to 233 patients receiving placebo plus chemotherapy, were thrombocytopenia (40% vs 34%), nausea (4% vs 1.3%), fatigue (6% vs 4%), headache (4% vs 0.9%), proteinuria (10% vs 0.4%), dyspnea (4% vs 1.7%), epistaxis (5% vs 0.4%), and hypertension (17% vs 0.9%)
- In psOC, Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions in the GOG-0213 study occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in 325 patients receiving Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel (chemotherapy), compared to 332 patients receiving chemotherapy alone, were hypertension (11% vs 0.6%), fatigue (8% vs 3%), febrile neutropenia (6% vs 3%), proteinuria (8% vs 0%), abdominal pain (6% vs 0.9%), hyponatremia (4% vs 0.9%), headache (3% vs 0.9%), and pain in extremity (3.4% vs 0%)
- In prOC, Grade 3–4 adverse reactions in AURELIA occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in 179 patients receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy, compared to 181 patients receiving chemotherapy alone, were hypertension (6.7% vs 1.1%) and palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia syndrome (4.5% vs 1.7%)
- In CC, Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions in Study GOG-0240, occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in 218 patients receiving Avastin plus chemotherapy compared to 222 patients receiving chemotherapy alone, were abdominal pain (12% vs 10%), diarrhea (6% vs 3%), anal fistula (4% vs 0%), proctalgia (3% vs 0%), urinary tract infection (8% vs 6%), cellulitis (3% vs 0.5%), fatigue (14% vs 10%), hypertension (11% vs 0.5%), thrombosis (8% vs 3%), hypokalemia (7% vs 4%), hyponatremia (4% vs 1%), dehydration (4% vs 0.5%), neutropenia (8% vs 4%), lymphopenia (6% vs 3%), back pain (6% vs 3%), and pelvic pain (6% vs 1%)
- In mRCC, the most common Grade 3–5 adverse reactions in AVOREN, occurring at a >2% higher incidence in Avastin-treated patients vs controls, 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, hemoptysis, hemorrhage intracranial, large intestinal hemorrhage, respiratory tract hemorrhage, and traumatic hematoma)
- In rGBM Study EORTC 26101, the incidence of Grade 3–4 VTE was 5% in patients receiving Avastin with chemotherapy compared to 2% in patients receiving chemotherapy alone. In this study, 22% of patients discontinued treatment in the Avastin with lomustine arm due to adverse reactions compared with 10% of patients in the lomustine arm. In patients receiving Avastin with lomustine, the adverse reaction profile was similar to that observed in other approved indications
- In NSCLC, Grade 3–5 (nonhematologic) and Grade 4–5 (hematologic) adverse reactions in Study E4599 occurring at a ≥2% higher incidence in Avastin-treated patients vs controls were neutropenia (27% vs 17%), fatigue (16% vs 13%), hypertension (8% vs 0.7%), infection without neutropenia (7% vs 3%), venous thromboembolism (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%)
- In first-line MCRC, the most common Grade 3–4 reactions in Study 2107, which occurred at a ≥2% higher incidence in the Avastin plus IFL vs IFL groups, were asthenia (10% vs 7%), abdominal pain (8% vs 5%), pain (8% vs 5%), hypertension (12% vs 2%), deep vein thrombosis (9% vs 5%), intra-abdominal thrombosis (3% vs 1%), syncope (3% vs 1%), diarrhea (34% vs 25%), constipation (4% vs 2%), leukopenia (37% vs 31%), and neutropenia (21% vs 14%)
- In second-line MCRC, the most common Grade 3–5 (nonhematologic) and 4–5 (hematologic) reactions in Study E3200, which occurred at a higher incidence (≥2%) in the Avastin plus FOLFOX4 vs FOLFOX4 groups, 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 underestimate the true adverse event rates due to the reporting mechanisms used in this study
- When continued beyond first progression in MCRC, no new safety signals were observed in the TML study (ML18147) when Avastin was administered in second-line MCRC patients who progressed on an Avastin containing regimen in first-line MCRC. The safety data was consistent with the known safety profile established in first- and second-line MCRC
- In HCC Study IMbrave150, fatal adverse reactions occurred in 4.6% of patients in the Avastin and atezolizumab arm. The most common adverse reactions leading to death were gastrointestinal and esophageal varices hemorrhage (1.2%) and infections (1.2%). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 38% of patients in the Avastin and atezolizumab arm. The most frequent serious adverse reactions (≥2%) were gastrointestinal hemorrhage (7%), infections (6%), and pyrexia (2.1%). Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of Avastin occurred in 15% of patients in the Avastin and atezolizumab arm. The most common adverse reactions leading to Avastin discontinuation were hemorrhages (4.9%), including bleeding varicose vein, hemorrhage and gastrointestinal, subarachnoid, and pulmonary hemorrhages; and increased transaminases or bilirubin (0.9%). Adverse reactions leading to interruption of Avastin occurred in 46% of patients in the Avastin and atezolizumab arm; the most common (≥2%) were proteinuria (6%); infections (6%); hypertension (6%); liver function laboratory abnormalities including increased transaminases, bilirubin, or alkaline phosphatase (4.6%); gastrointestinal hemorrhages (3%); thrombocytopenia/decreased platelet count (4.3%); and pyrexia (2.4%)
You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
You may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please see full Prescribing Information for additional important safety information.