Advanced renal cell carcinoma

Active Ingredient: Avelumab

Indication for Avelumab

Population group: only adults (18 years old or older)
Therapeutic intent: Adjunct intent

Bavencio in combination with axitinib is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

For this indication, competent medicine agencies globally authorize below treatments:

800 mg once every 2 weeks

For:

Dosage regimens

Intravenous, 800 milligrams avelumab, once every 2 weeks.

Detailed description

The recommended dose of avelumab in combination with axitinib is 800 mg administered intravenously over 60 minutes every 2 weeks and axitinib 5 mg orally taken twice daily (12 hours apart) with or without food until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

For information on the posology of axitinib, please refer to the axitinib product information.

Premedication

Patients have to be premedicated with an antihistamine and with paracetamol prior to the first 4 infusions of avelumab. If the fourth infusion is completed without an infusion-related reaction, premedication for subsequent doses should be administered at the discretion of the physician.

Treatment modifications

Dose escalation or reduction is not recommended. Dosing delay or discontinuation may be required based on individual safety and tolerability; see table.

Guidelines for withholding or discontinuation of avelumab:

Treatment-related adverse
reaction
Severity* Treatment modification
Infusion-related reactions Grade 1 infusion-related reactionReduce infusion rate by 50%
Grade 2 infusion-related reaction Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1; restart infusion
with a 50% slower rate
Grade 3 or Grade 4 infusion-related
reaction
Permanently discontinue
Pneumonitis Grade 2 pneumonitis Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
Grade 3 or Grade 4 pneumonitis or
recurrent Grade 2 pneumonitis
Permanently discontinue
Hepatitis

For avelumab in
combination with axitinib,
see below
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or
alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater
than 3 and up to 5 times upper limit of
normal (ULN) or total bilirubin greater
than 1.5 and up to 3 times ULN
Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
AST or ALT greater than 5 times ULN or
total bilirubin greater than 3 times ULN
Pe
Colitis Grade 2 or Grade 3 colitis or diarrhoeaWithhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
Grade 4 colitis or diarrhoea or recurrent
Grade 3 colitis
Permanently discontinue
Pancreatitis Suspected pancreatitis Withhold
Confirmed pancreatitis Permanently discontinue
Myocarditis Suspected myocarditis Withhold
Confirmed myocarditis Permanently discontinue
Endocrinopathies
(hypothyroidism,
hyperthyroidism, adrenal
insufficiency,
hyperglycaemia)
Grade 3 or Grade 4 endocrinopathies Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
Nephritis and renal
dysfunction
Serum creatinine more than 1.5 and up to 6
times ULN
Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
Serum creatinine more than 6 times ULN Permanently discontinue
Skin reactions Grade 3 rash Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
Grade 4 or recurrent Grade 3 rash or
confirmed Stevens–Johnson syndrome
(SJS) or Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)
Permanently discontinue
Other immune-related
adverse reactions (including
myositis, hypopituitarism,
uveitis, myasthenia gravis,
myasthenic syndrome,
Guillain-Barré syndrome)
For any of the following:
• Grade 2 or Grade 3 clinical signs or
symptoms of an immune-related
adverse reaction not described above
Withhold until adverse
reactions recover to
Grade 0-1
For any of the following:
• Life threatening or Grade 4 adverse
reaction (excluding endocrinopathies
controlled with hormone replacement
therapy)
• Recurrent Grade 3 immune-related
adverse reaction
• Requirement for 10 mg per day or
greater prednisone or equivalent for
more than 12 weeks
• Persistent Grade 2 or Grade 3
immune-mediate adverse reactions
lasting 12 weeks or longer
Permanently discontinue

* Toxicity was graded per National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.0 (NCI-CTCAE v4.03)

Treatment modifications when avelumab is used in combination with axitinib

If ALT or AST ≥3 times ULN but <5 times ULN or total bilirubin ≥1.5 times ULN but <3 times ULN, both avelumab and axitinib should be withheld until these adverse reactions recover to Grades 0-1. If persistent (greater than 5 days), corticosteroid therapy with prednisone or equivalent followed by a taper should be considered. Rechallenge with avelumab or axitinib or sequential rechallenge with both avelumab and axitinib after recovery should be considered. Dose reduction according to the axitinib product information should be considered if rechallenging with axitinib.

If ALT or AST ≥5 times ULN or >3 times ULN with concurrent total bilirubin ≥2 times ULN or total bilirubin ≥3 times ULN, both avelumab and axitinib should be permanently discontinued and corticosteroid therapy should be considered.

Dose modification advice for axitinib when used with avelumab

When avelumab is administered in combination with axitinib, please refer to the axitinib product R/9608 | R/9609information for recommended dose modifications for axitinib.

Dosage considerations

Avelumab is for intravenous infusion only. It must not be administered as an intravenous push or bolus injection.

Active ingredient

Avelumab

Avelumab is a human immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody directed against programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Avelumab binds PD-L1 and blocks the interaction between PD-L1 and the programmed death 1 (PD-1) and B7.1 receptors. This removes the suppressive effects of PD-L1 on cytotoxic CD8+ T-cells, resulting in the restoration of anti-tumour T-cell responses.

Read more about Avelumab

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