Avelumab Injection

Avelumab injection is used to treat Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC; a type of skin cancer) that has spread to other parts of the body in adults and children 12 years of age and older. Avelumab injection is also used to treat urothelial cancer (cancer of the lining of the bladder and other parts of the urinary tract) that has spread to nearby tissues or other parts of the body in people whose cancer worsened during or within 12 months after it was treated with platinum chemotherapy medications. It is also used as ongoing treatment for urothelial cancer that has spread to nearby tissues or other parts of the body to help maintain the response to platinum chemotherapy. Avelumab injection is also used in combination with axitinib (Inlyta) as a first treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC; cancer that begins in the kidney) that has spread or cannot be removed by surgery. Avelumab injection is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It works by helping the body to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Avelumab injection comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected intravenously (into a vein) over 60 minutes by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility or infusion center. It is usually given once every 2 weeks. Your doctor will decide how often you are to receive avelumab based on your body’s response to this medication.

Avelumab injection may cause serious reactions during the infusion of the medication. You may be given other medications to treat or help prevent reactions to avelumab. A doctor or nurse will monitor you carefully while you are receiving the medication. Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms during the infusion: chills or shaking, hives, fever, flushing, back pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, dizziness, feeling faint, or stomach pain. Your doctor may need to slow down your infusion or delay or permanently stop your treatment if you experience these side effects.

Your doctor may also permanently or temporarily stop your treatment, or treat you with other medications if you experience other side effects. Be sure to tell your doctor how you are feeling during your treatment with avelumab injection.

Your doctor or pharmacist will give you the manufacturer’s patient information sheet (Medication Guide) when you begin treatment with avelumab injection and each time you receive the medication. Read the information carefully and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. You can also visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website (http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm) or the manufacturer’s website to obtain the Medication Guide.

🔔 Other uses for this medicine

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

It’s not just health insurance premiums, but also deductibles, that keep on rising. In 2018, the average deductible was $3,000 for a gold-tier family plan, $8,000 for a silver-tier family plan and $12,000 for a bronze-tier family plan, according to USC Annenberg’s Center for Health Journalism.

🔔 What special precautions should I follow?

Before receiving avelumab injection,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to avelumab, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in avelumab injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had an organ or bone marrow transplant; radiation therapy to your chest area. diabetes; thyroid problems; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; an autoimmune disease (condition in which the immune system attacks a healthy part of the body) such as Crohn’s disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract, causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever), ulcerative colitis (a condition which causes swelling and sores in the lining of the colon [large intestine] and rectum), or lupus (condition in which the immune system attacks many tissues and organs including the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys); any condition that affects your nervous system such as myasthenia gravis (a disorder of the nervous system that causes muscle weakness) or Guillain-Barré syndrome (weakness, tingling, and possible paralysis due to sudden nerve damage); any type of lung disease or breathing problems; or liver, heart, or kidney disease. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had cytomegalovirus (CMV; a viral infection that may cause symptoms in patients with weak immune systems).
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy during your treatment and for 1 month after your final dose of avelumab. Talk to your doctor about birth control methods that will work for you. If you become pregnant while receiving avelumab, call your doctor immediately. Avelumab may harm the fetus.
• tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. You should not breastfeed while receiving avelumab and for 1 month after your final dose.

🔔 What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.