Administration of Avastin

Avastin must be administered under the supervision of a physician experienced in the use of antineoplastic medicinal products.¹

The initial dose should be delivered over 90 minutes as an intravenous infusion. If the first infusion is well tolerated, the second infusion may be administered over 60 minutes. If the 60-minute infusion is well tolerated, all subsequent infusions may be administered over 30 minutes. Do not administer as an intravenous push or bolus(The administration of a drug, medication or other substance in the form of a single, large dose).

It is recommended that treatment be continued until progression(A carcinogenic process whereby genetically altered cells undergo a second (non-genetic) cell expansion resulting in uncontrollable growth) of the underlying disease.

Approved indications

mCRC

Avastin is approved in combination with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for treatment of patients with mCRC.¹

The recommended dose of Avastin, administered as an intravenous infusion, is either 5mg/kg or 10mg/kg of body weight given once every 2 weeks or 7.5mg/kg or 15mg/kg of body weight given once every 3 weeks.

mBC

Avastin is approved in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of patients with mBC.¹

Avastin is also approved in combination with capecitabine for the first-line treatment of patients with mBC in whom treatment with other chemotherapy options including taxanes or anthracyclines is not considered appropriate. Patients who have received taxane and anthracycline-containing regimens in the adjuvant setting within the last 12 months should be excluded from treatment with Avastin in combination with capecitabine.¹

The recommended dose of Avastin is 10mg/kg of body weight given once every 2 weeks or 15mg/kg of body weight given once every 3 weeks as an intravenous infusion.

NSCLC

Avastin is approved in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for first-line treatment of patients with unresectable advanced, metastatic(Pertaining to the spread of a disease, usually cancer, from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part) or recurrent NSCLC other than predominantly squamous(Denoting a surface tissue consisting of a single layer of flat scale-like cells) cell histology.¹

Avastin is administered in addition to platinum-based chemotherapy for up to 6 cycles of treatment followed by Avastin as a single agent until PD.

The recommended dose of Avastin is 7.5mg/kg or 15mg/kg of body weight given once every 3 weeks as an intravenous infusion. Clinical benefit in NSCLC patients has been demonstrated with both 7.5mg/kg and 15mg/kg doses.

Advanced and/or metastatic RCC

Avastin is approved in combination with IFN-α2a for first line treatment of patients with advanced and/or metastatic RCC.¹

The recommended dose of Avastin is 10mg/kg of body weight given once every 2 weeks as an intravenous infusion.

Summary

Avastin

• Is indicated for the treatment of mCRC, mBC, NSCLC and mRCC.
• Should be administered by intravenous infusion.
• Should be continued until progression of underlying disease.

Reference

1. Avastin Summary of Product Characteristics.