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What is the difference between Mvasi and Avastin?

Medically reviewed by Judith Stewart, BPharm. Last updated on April 4, 2024.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Mvasi (bevacizumab-awwb) is a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab).

Mvasi is not interchangeable with Avastin. The prescriber must write a prescription specifically for Mvasi.

A biosimilar, according to the FDA, is a biological product that is highly similar to an FDA-approved biological product, known as a reference product (in this case Avastin), and has no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety and effectiveness.

See Biosimilar and Interchangeable Biologics: More Treatment Choices

Mvasi has the same approved indications as Avastin, with the exception of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Avastin Mvasi
Generic Name bevacizumab bevacizumab-awwb
How Supplied
  • Injection: 100 mg/4 mL in single dose vial
  • Injection: 400 mg/16 mL in single dose vial
  • Injection: 100 mg/4 mL in single dose vial
  • Injection: 400 mg/16 mL in single dose vial
Indications
  • metastatic colorectal cancer
  • non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer
  • glioblastoma
  • metastatic renal cell carcinoma
  • cervical cancer
  • epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer
  • hepatocellular carcinoma
  • metastatic colorectal cancer
  • non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer
  • glioblastoma
  • metastatic renal cell carcinoma
  • cervical cancer
  • epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer

Mvasi was approved in 2017 as the first biosimilar to Avastin. A second Avastin biosimilar called Zirabev (bevacizumab-bvzr) was approved in 2019, and a third called Alymsys (bevacizumab-maly) was approved in 2022.

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