in stage III or IV
ovarian cancer
VS chemotherapy alone
after primary surgery
Select Important Safety Information
The Warnings and Precautions for Avastin include gastrointestinal perforation and fistulae, surgery and wound healing complications, hemorrhage, arterial thromboembolic events, venous thromboembolic events, hypertension, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, renal injury and proteinuria, infusion-related reactions, embryo-fetal toxicity, ovarian failure, and congestive heart failure.
Indication
Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Avastin as a single agent, is indicated for the treatment of patients with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer following initial surgical resection.
Serious adverse reactions (Warnings and Precautions)
-
Serious and sometimes fatal adverse reactions with increased incidence in the
Avastin-treated arm vs chemotherapy arm included:
- Gastrointestinal (GI) perforation ranged from 0.3% to 3% of patients across clinical studies
- Non-GI fistulae (<1% to 1.8%, highest in patients with cervical cancer)
- Arterial thromboembolic events (Grade ≥3, 5%, highest in patients with GBM)
- The incidence of wound healing and surgical complications, including serious and fatal complications, is increased in Avastin-treated patients
- Hemorrhage (Grade 3–5) ranged from 0.4% to 7% of patients across clinical studies
- Renal injury and proteinuria
-
Additional serious adverse reactions with increased incidence in the Avastin-treated
arm vs chemotherapy arm included:
- Venous thromboembolism (Grade ≥3, 11% seen in GOG-0240)
- Hypertension (Grade 3–4, 5%–18%)
- Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) (<0.5%)
- Congestive heart failure (CHF): Grade ≥3 left ventricular dysfunction (1%)
- Infusion-related reactions with the first dose of Avastin occurred in <3% of patients, and severe reactions occurred in 0.2% of patients
- Avoid use in patients with ovarian cancer who have evidence of recto-sigmoid involvement by pelvic examination or bowel involvement on CT scan or clinical symptoms of bowel obstruction
- Inform females of reproductive potential of the risk of ovarian failure prior to initiating treatment with Avastin
Pregnancy warning
- Based on the mechanism of action and animal studies, Avastin may cause fetal harm
- Advise female patients that Avastin may cause fetal harm, and to inform their healthcare provider of a known or suspected pregnancy
- Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with Avastin and for 6 months after the last dose of Avastin
- Advise nursing women not to breastfeed during treatment with Avastin and for 6 months following their last dose of treatment
- Avastin may impair fertility
Most common adverse reactions
- Across studies, the most common adverse reactions observed in Avastin patients at a rate >10% were:
- Epistaxis
- Headache
- Hypertension
- Rhinitis
- Proteinuria
- Taste alteration
- Dry skin
- Rectal hemorrhage
- Lacrimation disorder
- Back pain
- Exfoliative dermatitis
- Across all studies, Avastin was discontinued in 8% to 22% of patients because of adverse reactions
Indication-specific adverse reactions
- In Stage III or IV OC after primary surgery, 608 patients received CP+Avastin→Avastin, 607 patients received CP+Avastin→PBO, and 602 patients received CP+PBO→PBO. Grade 3–4 adverse reactions occurring at a higher incidence (≥2%) in either of the Avastin arms vs the chemotherapy only arm were fatigue (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 9%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 6%; CP+PBO→PBO, 6%), hypertension (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 10%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 6%; CP+PBO→PBO, 2%), platelet count decreased (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 21%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 20%; CP+PBO→PBO, 15%), and white blood cell count decreased (CP+Avastin→Avastin, 51%; CP+Avastin→PBO, 53%; CP+PBO→PBO, 50%)
You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
You may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please see full Prescribing Information for additional important safety information.
*HR=0.62 (95% CI, 0.52–0.75), P<0.0001.
†GOG-0218 was a Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.1,2
©2019 Genentech USA, Inc. All rights reserved.
(07/19) AVP/110718/0035(1)