Bavencio Dosage

Generic name: avelumab 20mg in 1mL
Dosage form: injection, solution, concentrate
Drug class: Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 4, 2024.

Premedication

Premedicate patients with an antihistamine and with acetaminophen prior to the first 4 infusions of BAVENCIO. Premedication should be administered for subsequent BAVENCIO doses based upon clinical judgment and presence/severity of prior infusion reactions.

Recommended Dosage for MCC

The recommended dosage of BAVENCIO is 800 mg administered as an intravenous infusion over 60 minutes every 2 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Recommended Dosage for UC

The recommended dosage of BAVENCIO is 800 mg administered as an intravenous infusion over 60 minutes every 2 weeks until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Recommended Dosage for RCC

The recommended dosage of BAVENCIO is 800 mg administered as an intravenous infusion over 60 minutes every 2 weeks in combination with axitinib 5 mg orally taken twice daily (12 hours apart) with or without food until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

When axitinib is used in combination with BAVENCIO, dose escalation of axitinib above the initial 5 mg dose may be considered at intervals of two weeks or longer. Review the Full Prescribing Information for axitinib prior to initiation.

Dose Modifications

No dose reduction for BAVENCIO is recommended. In general, withhold BAVENCIO for severe (Grade 3) immune-mediated adverse reactions. Permanently discontinue BAVENCIO for life-threatening (Grade 4) immune-mediated adverse reactions, recurrent severe (Grade 3) immune-mediated reactions that require systemic immunosuppressive treatment, or an inability to reduce corticosteroid dose to 10 mg or less of prednisone or equivalent per day within 12 weeks of initiating corticosteroids.

Dosage modifications for BAVENCIO for adverse reactions that require management different from these general guidelines are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1: Recommended Monotherapy Dosage Modifications for Adverse Reactions
Adverse Reaction	Severity*	Dosage Modification
ALT = alanine aminotransferase, AST = aspartate aminotransferase, ULN = upper limit normal, SJS = Stevens-Johnson syndrome, TEN = toxic epidermal necrosis, DRESS = drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms
* Based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 4.03 † Resume in patients with complete or partial resolution (Grade 0 to 1) after corticosteroid taper. Permanently discontinue if no complete or partial resolution within 12 weeks of last dose or inability to reduce prednisone to 10 mg per day or less (or equivalent) within 12 weeks of initiating corticosteroids. ‡ If AST and ALT are less than or equal to ULN at baseline, withhold or permanently discontinue BAVENCIO based on recommendations for hepatitis where there is no tumor involvement of the liver.
Immune-Mediated Adverse Reactions
Pneumonitis	Grade 2	Withhold†
Pneumonitis	Grade 3 or 4	Permanently discontinue
Colitis	Grade 2 or 3	Withhold†
Colitis	Grade 4	Permanently discontinue
Hepatitis with no tumor involvement of the liver For liver enzyme elevations in patients treated with combination therapy, see Table 2	AST or ALT increases to more than 3 and up to 8 times ULN or Total bilirubin increases to more than 1.5 and up to 3 times ULN	Withhold†
	AST or ALT increases to more than 8 times ULN or Total bilirubin increases to more than 3 times ULN	Permanently discontinue
Hepatitis with tumor involvement of the liver‡	Baseline AST or ALT is more than 1 and up to 3 times ULN and increases to more than 5 and up to 10 times ULN or Baseline AST or ALT is more than 3 and up to 5 times ULN and increases to more than 8 and up to 10 times ULN	Withhold†
Hepatitis with tumor involvement of the liver‡	AST or ALT increases to more than 10 times ULN or Total bilirubin increases to more than 3 times ULN	Permanently discontinue
Endocrinopathies	Grade 3 or 4	Withhold until clinically stable or permanently discontinue depending on severity
Nephritis with Renal Dysfunction	Grade 2 or 3 increased blood creatinine	Withhold†
Nephritis with Renal Dysfunction	Grade 4 increased blood creatinine	Permanently discontinue
Exfoliative Dermatologic Conditions	Suspected SJS, TEN, or DRESS	Withhold†
Exfoliative Dermatologic Conditions	Confirmed SJS, TEN, or DRESS	Permanently discontinue
Myocarditis	Grade 2, 3 or 4	Permanently discontinue
Neurological Toxicities	Grade 2	Withhold†
Neurological Toxicities	Grade 3 or 4	Permanently discontinue
Other Adverse Reactions
Infusion-related reactions	Grade 1 or 2	Interrupt or slow the rate of infusion
Infusion-related reactions	Grade 3 or 4	Permanently discontinue

Table 2 presents dosage modifications that are different from those described above in Table 1 for BAVENCIO used as monotherapy or in the Full Prescribing Information for the drug administered in combination.

Table 2: Recommended Specific Dosage Modifications for Adverse Reactions for Combination Therapy
Treatment	Adverse Reaction	Severity*	Dosage Modification
* Based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 4.03 † Consider corticosteroid therapy ‡ Dose reduction according to the axitinib Full Prescribing Information should be considered if rechallenging with axitinib.
BAVENCIO in combination with axitinib	Liver enzyme elevations	ALT or AST at least 3 times ULN but less than 10 times ULN without concurrent total bilirubin at least 2 times ULN	Withhold both BAVENCIO and axitinib until adverse reactions recover to Grades 0-1† Consider rechallenge with BAVENCIO or axitinib or sequential rechallenge with both BAVENCIO and axitinib after recovery‡
BAVENCIO in combination with axitinib	Liver enzyme elevations	ALT or AST at least 10 times ULN or more than 3 times ULN with concurrent total bilirubin at least 2 times ULN	Permanently discontinue both BAVENCIO and axitinib†

Preparation and Administration

Preparation

Visually inspect vial for particulate matter and discoloration. BAVENCIO is a clear, colorless to slightly yellow solution. Discard vial if the solution is cloudy, discolored, or contains particulate matter.
Withdraw the required volume of BAVENCIO from the vial(s) and inject it into a 250 mL infusion bag containing either 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection or 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection.
Gently invert the bag to mix the diluted solution and avoid foaming or excessive shearing.
Inspect the solution to ensure it is clear, colorless, and free of visible particles.
Discard any partially used or empty vials.

Storage of diluted BAVENCIO solution

Protect from light.

Store diluted BAVENCIO solution:

At room temperature up to 77°F (25°C) for no more than 4 hours from the time of dilution.

Under refrigeration at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) for no more than 24 hours from the time of dilution. If refrigerated, allow the diluted solution to come to room temperature prior to administration.

Do not freeze or shake diluted solution.

Administration

Administer the diluted solution over 60 minutes through an intravenous line containing a sterile, non-pyrogenic, low protein binding in-line filter (pore size of 0.2 micron).
Do not co-administer other drugs through the same intravenous line.