Avelumab
About Avelumab
Avelumab is an anti-cancer medicine used in the treatment of different types of cancer. Cancer is a disease where the cells grow abnormally and divide uncontrollably. This medicine is used in treating Merkel cell carcinoma as first-line therapy in combination with axitinib in patients with renal cell carcinoma and in patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that has not progressed with first-line platinum-containing chemotherapy.
Avelumab contains Avelumab, which functions by binding to PD-L1 specifically and preventing it from interacting with PD-1 proteins, thereby prevents the immune system from fighting cancer cells and enables the immune cells to kill the cancer cells.
Avelumab may cause certain side effects such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, itching, rash, headache, fever, shortness of breath, muscle/joint pain, loss of appetite and injection site reactions. Inform your doctor if any of these side effects persist for longer. Avelumab will be administered by an oncologist trained in administering anti-cancer agents.
Avoid receiving Avelumab and inform your doctor if you are allergic to it or any other components of it. Before taking Avelumab, tell your doctor if you have/had liver or kidney disease, autoimmune disorders such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, a history of organ transplants, heart problems, lung disease, and breathing difficulty. This medicine is known to cause embryo-fetal toxicity. Hence, it is not recommended for use in pregnancy. Avoid breastfeeding while taking Avelumab.
Uses of Avelumab
Medicinal Benefits
Avelumab contains Avelumab, which is used in the treatment of different types of cancers. It works by binding to PD-L1 selectively, blocking its interaction with PD-1, the inhibitory T-cell receptor. T-cell-mediated, adaptive antitumour immune responses are produced when PD-L1 inhibition eliminates the suppression of T-cell activity. It blocks its interaction with PD-1 proteins that stop the immune system from attacking the cancer cells; this allows the immune cells to kill the cancer cells.
Directions for Use
Avelumab will be administered by a trained oncologist in the hospital setting. Hence, do not self-administer. Your doctor will decide the dose and duration of the treatment based on the severity and type of cancer.
Storage
Side Effects of Avelumab
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Loss of appetite
- Weakness
- Muscle pain
- Cough
- Headache
- Fever
- Itching
- Rash
- Back pain
- Upper respiratory tract infections
- Injection site reactions
Drug Warnings
To treat your condition effectually, continue receiving Avelumab for the period that your doctor has prescribed. Avelumab may cause severe immune-mediated adverse reactions (IMAR) such as immune-mediated colitis, hepatitis, hepatotoxicity, nephritis, endocrinopathies, pneumonitis, cardiac problems, and dermatologic reactions. It may also cause infusion-related reactions in some patients. Therefore, caution should be exercised if you have/had liver or kidney disease, any history of organ transplant, gastrointestinal disorders, autoimmune disorders such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, lung disease, heart problems, and breathing difficulty while receiving Avelumab. This medicine may also cause severe infusion-related reactions. Hence, careful monitoring is recommended and discontinue the treatment if any severe infusion reactions occur. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant before starting the treatment, as this medicine is known to cause embryo-fetal toxicity. Breastfeeding should be discontinued in nursing mothers during the treatment as it passes into breast milk and may cause a possible risk to the infant. This medicine is not recommended for use in children below 12 years of age as the safety and efficacy are not established.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Avelumab may have interaction with immunomodulator drugs (thalidomide), corticosteroids (prednisolone, methylprednisolone, prednisone), etc.
Drug-Food Interactions: Avoid alcohol consumption and smoking.
Dug-Disease Interactions: Tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease, heart problems, GI disorders, dermatitis, or a weak immune system before starting the treatment.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
consult your doctorIt is unknown whether Avelumab interacts with alcohol. Consult your doctor for more information.
Pregnancy
unsafeAvelumab is not recommended for use in pregnancy as it may cause embryo-fetal toxicity and harm your foetus. Hence, if you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, inform your doctor before receiving Avelumab. You should not become pregnant while you are receiving Avelumab for at least one month from the last dose of Avelumab. Using effective birth control methods while on treatment is suggested.
Breast Feeding
unsafeAvelumab should not be taken if you are breastfeeding as it passes into breast milk and may harm your infant. Avoid nursing your child while on treatment with this medicine and for at least one month from the last dose of medicine.
Driving
not applicableAvelumab will be administered to hospitalized patients.
Liver
cautionIf you have a pre-existing or a history of liver problems, tell your doctor before receiving this medicine. Inform your doctor if you experience any symptoms, such as severe nausea or vomiting, right-sided upper stomach pain, easy bruising or bleeding, dark urine, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). Your doctor may suggest tests to monitor your liver function while on treatment with this medicine.
Kidney
cautionIf you have a pre-existing or a history of kidney diseases, inform your doctor before receiving Avelumab. Tell your doctor if you have little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles, or blood in your urine. Your doctor may adjust the dose of this medicine or prescribe a suitable alternative based on your condition.
Children
unsafeAvelumab is not recommended for use in children below 12 years as the safety and efficacy are not established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Physical activity helps strengthen muscles, reduces fatigue, helps in weight loss, and gives strength. Gentle activities like 20-30 minutes of walking or swimming would be helpful.
- Maintain a healthy weight by performing regular low-strain exercises and eating healthy food.
- Getting adequate sleep as resting helps improve your health and mental ability and improves attention.
- De-stress yourself by meditating, reading books, taking a warm bubble bath, or listening to soothing music.
- Eat food rich in antioxidants such as berries, spinach, etc.
- Foods containing fibre help in better digestion. These include beans, peas, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
Special Advise
- Your doctor may suggest periodic liver function tests, kidney function tests, and lung function tests to monitor the function of the liver, kidney and lungs due to the use of Avelumab.
- Using contraceptive pills while using Avelumab to prevent pregnancy is advised.
- Thyroid function and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels will be monitored during treatment to avoid any life-threatening side effects.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Renal Cell Carcinoma: It is the most common type of cancer in which cancer/ malignant cells grow uncontrollably in the kidney and form a tumor. Symptoms include red, orange, or pink-coloured urine due to the presence of blood in the urine.
Bladder cancer: It is a cancer that begins in the bladder. It typically affects older adults. The most common symptom is blood in the urine.
Merkel Cell Carcinoma: Also known as neuroendocrine carcinoma of the skin. It is a type of skin cancer in which the cancer cells develop out of control in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin).
FAQs
Avelumab is used to treat Merkel cell carcinoma, Renal cell carcinoma and Urothelial carcinoma.
Avelumab contains Avelumab, which works by inhibiting the action of a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-L1) that causes the multiplication of cancerous cells.
