What Is Mvasi?

Mvasi is a prescription medication used to treat various kinds of cancer. It is a type of medication called monoclonal antibodies, similar to antibodies that our bodies make to protect us when an unwanted substance enters our bodies. In the case of Mvasi, the antibody is recombinant humanized, which means its protein sequences have been modified to increase its similarity to those produced naturally in our bodies, making it safe for human administration. Mvasi is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor. It inhibits microvascular growth which retards the growth of all tissues (including metastatic cancer tissue). It was approved in 2017 as the first biosimilar to Avastin. A biosimilar is a medicine that is nearly identical to another drug in terms of structure and function. The generic name of Mvasi is bevacizumab-awwb.

Mvasi is available as 100 mg and 400 mg single-use vials. It is a slightly opalescent, colorless to pale yellow solution that contains 25 mg/ml of bevacizumab-awwb.

Mvasi is only administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion. This drug is manufactured by Amgen, Inc.

Mvasi Dosing Information

Depending on the diagnosis, treatment could either be for a set number of cycles or might have to be continued until there is unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. Below are the recommended doses for each condition treated by Mvasi:

• Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: The recommended dosage is 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. The dosage will vary depending on what drug is used in combination.
  • When combined with the bolus-IFL regimen, administer 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks.
  • When combined with the FOLFOX4 regimen, administer 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks.
  • When combined with a fluoropyrimidine-irinotecan- or fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy drug, administer 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 7.5 mg/kg every 3 weeks.

• Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: In combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, the dose recommendation is 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks for 6 cycles.
• Recurrent Glioblastoma: The recommended dose is 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks as a single agent treatment.
• Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC): In combination with interferon alfa, the recommended dose is 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks.
• Cervical Cancer: Mvasi should be used in combination with paclitaxel and topotecan, or paclitaxel and cisplatin. The recommended dose of Mvasi is 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks as an intravenous infusion.
• Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer:
  • Stage III or IV disease following initial surgical resection: The dose recommendation is 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel for up to 6 cycles, followed by Mvasi (monotherapy) dosed at 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks for a total of up to 22 cycles or until disease progression.
  • Recurrent, platinum-resistant: The recommended dose is 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks or 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks in combination with paclitaxel, doxorubicin (liposomal), or topotecan.
  • Recurrent, platinum-sensitive: The recommended dose is 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks in combination with carboplatin and gemcitabine for 6 to 10 cycles or with carboplatin and paclitaxel for 6 to 8 cycles, followed by Mvasi (monotherapy) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.