Avelumab

Avelumab
Monoclonal antibody
TypeWhole antibody
SourceHuman
TargetPD-L1
Clinical data
Trade namesBavencio
Other namesMSB0010718C
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
MedlinePlusa617006
License data
Pregnancy
category
Routes of
administration		Intravenous infusion
ATC code
Legal status
Legal status
Pharmacokinetic data
MetabolismProteolysis
Elimination half-life6.1 days
Identifiers
CAS Number
DrugBank
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII
KEGG
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC6374H9898N1694O2010S44
Molar mass143831.79 g·mol−1

Avelumab, sold under the brand name Bavencio, is a fully human monoclonal antibody medication for the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma.[5]

Common side effects include fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, diarrhea, nausea, infusion-related reactions, rash, decreased appetite and swelling of the limbs (peripheral edema).[7]

Avelumab targets the protein programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). It has received orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of gastric cancer in January 2017.[8] The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it in March 2017, for the treatment of Merkel-cell carcinoma,[7] an aggressive type of skin cancer. The EMA approved it in September 2017, for the same indication.[9] This is the first FDA-approved treatment for metastatic Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer.[7] Avelumab was developed by Merck KGaA and Pfizer.[10]

  1. ^ "Avelumab (Bavencio) Use During Pregnancy". Drugs.com. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Regulatory Decision Summary for Bavencio". 23 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Cancer therapies". Health Canada. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Drug and medical device highlights 2018: Helping you maintain and improve your health". Health Canada. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Bavencio- avelumab injection, solution, concentrate". DailyMed. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Bavencio EPAR". European Medicines Agency (EMA). 18 September 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference FDA PR 20170323 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Public summary of opinion on orphan designation: Avelumab for the treatment of gastric cancer" (PDF). European Medicines Agency. 9 January 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  9. ^ "Bavencio: EPAR - Product Information" (PDF). European Medicines Agency. 18 September 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  10. ^ Merck-Pfizer Alliance. "Merck-Pfizer Alliance Avelumab Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2015.