Summary

Bevacizumab (Avastin®) is a human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the function of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), thus inhibiting tumor neoangiogenesis. Nonclinical studies suggest that the inhibition of VEGF can result in regression of existing microvessels, allowing the existing tumor vasculature to be more conducive to the effects of standard chemotherapies, and inhibition of neovascularization.

Bevacizumab is the first U.S. FDA approved anti-angiogenic monoclonal antibody therapy for treatment in combination with other anti-cancer chemotherapeutics for the first- and second-line treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Specifically, bevacizumab is approved, in combination with intravenous 5-fluorouracil-based (5-FU) chemotherapy, for first- or second-line treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum and in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic NSCLC.

The most serious adverse events associated with bevacizumab across all clinical trials were GI perforation, wound healing complications, hemorrhage, arterial thromboembolus, hypertension, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, and congestive heart failure.