Bavencio (Avelumab) for bladder cancer

Overview
Bavencio is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the maintenance treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (a type of bladder cancer) that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy. It is also approved for indivduals with urothelial carcinoma who experience disease progression during or following platinum-based chemotherapy or within 12 months of receiving it as a presurgery or postsurgery treatment. Bavencio is also known by its drug name, avelumab.

Bavencio belongs to a class of drugs called programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitors. This immunotherapy works by blocking PD-L1, a protein that helps cancer cells evade detection by the immune system. By inhibiting PD-L1, Bavencio enables the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Bavencio is administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion. For bladder cancer, the recommended dosage is administered every two weeks. Each infusion lasts approximately 60 minutes. The drug should be administered exactly as prescribed by a health care provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Bavencio include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain (pain in muscles, bones, or joints), urinary tract infection, rash, infusion-related reactions (side effects during or shortly after the IV infusion, such as fever, chills, or flushing), nausea, and decreased appetite.

Rare but serious side effects may include immune-mediated reactions that can be severe or fatal and affect any organ or tissue. These include pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs), colitis (inflammation of the colon), hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), endocrinopathies (hormonal gland disorders), nephritis with renal dysfunction (inflammation of the kidneys leading to reduced kidney function), and dermatologic adverse reactions (skin-related issues).

Bavencio may also cause solid organ transplant rejection and severe infusion-related reactions. Other rare complications include major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke, and complications related to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which may be fatal. Lastly, Bavencio can cause harm to an unborn baby. 

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Label: Bavencio- Avelumab Injection, Solution, Concentrate — DailyMed