Safety of an Intravitreal Bevacizumab Biosimilar (MVASI)

Hanru Wang; Bobak Bahrami; Sonia Huang; Marzieh Tahmasebi Sarvestani; Sudha Cugati; Stewart Lake; Weng Onn Chan; Devaraj Supramaniam; Matthew Little

doi:10.1111/ceo.14515

Safety of an Intravitreal Bevacizumab Biosimilar (MVASI)

Hanru Wang, Bobak Bahrami, Sonia Huang, Marzieh Tahmasebi Sarvestani, Sudha Cugati, Stewart Lake, Weng Onn Chan, Devaraj Supramaniam, Matthew Little

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Abstract

Background: Intravitreal bevacizumab has been used off-label to treat multiple ocular conditions for almost two decades. Reference bevacizumab, Avastin, was discontinued in Australia in 2021. A bevacizumab biosimilar, MVASI, was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of metastatic cancer in 2020. There is limited safety data for the off-label intravitreal use of MVASI. This retrospective study evaluates the safety of intravitreal MVASI.

Methods: Retrospective review of all eyes that were given intravitreal MVASI at all metropolitan public hospitals in South Australia between 1st May 2022 and 30th May 2024. Demographic data, injection indications, number of injections per eye, whether patients were switched to another agent, and associated complications were collected from electronic and paper medical records.

Results: A total of 6230 injections were given to 1682 eyes in this study. The mean age of the study population was 69.8 ± 15.6 years. The overall mean number of MVASI injections given per eye was 3.7 ± 2.9 (range 1–21). The indications for treatment were neovascular age-related macular degeneration (2106 injections; 33.8%), diabetic macular oedema (1634 injections; 26.2%), branch retinal vein occlusion (695 injections; 11.2%), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (596 injections; 9.6%), central retinal vein occlusion (558 injections; 9.0%) and other (641 injections; 10.3%). Significant sight-threatening complications included 3 cases of bacterial endophthalmitis (0.05%) and 3 cases of uveitis (0.05%). No cases of retinal vasculitis were observed.

Conclusions: Intravitreal MVASI had a similar ophthalmic safety profile and may be used as an alternative to Avastin.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	523-528
Number of pages	6
Journal	Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology
Volume	53
Issue number	5
Early online date	5 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ceo.14515
Publication status	Published - Jul 2025
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Avastin
biosimilar
intravitreal injections
MVASI
safety

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/ceo.14515Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Final published versionFinal published version, 288 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

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title = "Safety of an Intravitreal Bevacizumab Biosimilar (MVASI)",

abstract = "Background: Intravitreal bevacizumab has been used off-label to treat multiple ocular conditions for almost two decades. Reference bevacizumab, Avastin, was discontinued in Australia in 2021. A bevacizumab biosimilar, MVASI, was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of metastatic cancer in 2020. There is limited safety data for the off-label intravitreal use of MVASI. This retrospective study evaluates the safety of intravitreal MVASI. Methods: Retrospective review of all eyes that were given intravitreal MVASI at all metropolitan public hospitals in South Australia between 1st May 2022 and 30th May 2024. Demographic data, injection indications, number of injections per eye, whether patients were switched to another agent, and associated complications were collected from electronic and paper medical records. Results: A total of 6230 injections were given to 1682 eyes in this study. The mean age of the study population was 69.8 ± 15.6 years. The overall mean number of MVASI injections given per eye was 3.7 ± 2.9 (range 1–21). The indications for treatment were neovascular age-related macular degeneration (2106 injections; 33.8%), diabetic macular oedema (1634 injections; 26.2%), branch retinal vein occlusion (695 injections; 11.2%), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (596 injections; 9.6%), central retinal vein occlusion (558 injections; 9.0%) and other (641 injections; 10.3%). Significant sight-threatening complications included 3 cases of bacterial endophthalmitis (0.05%) and 3 cases of uveitis (0.05%). No cases of retinal vasculitis were observed. Conclusions: Intravitreal MVASI had a similar ophthalmic safety profile and may be used as an alternative to Avastin.",

keywords = "Avastin, biosimilar, intravitreal injections, MVASI, safety",

author = "Hanru Wang and Bobak Bahrami and Sonia Huang and {Tahmasebi Sarvestani}, Marzieh and Sudha Cugati and Stewart Lake and Chan, {Weng Onn} and Devaraj Supramaniam and Matthew Little",

year = "2025",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/ceo.14515",

language = "English",

volume = "53",

pages = "523--528",

journal = "Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology",

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T1 - Safety of an Intravitreal Bevacizumab Biosimilar (MVASI)

AU - Wang, Hanru

AU - Bahrami, Bobak

AU - Huang, Sonia

AU - Tahmasebi Sarvestani, Marzieh

AU - Cugati, Sudha

AU - Lake, Stewart

AU - Chan, Weng Onn

AU - Supramaniam, Devaraj

AU - Little, Matthew

PY - 2025/7

Y1 - 2025/7

N2 - Background: Intravitreal bevacizumab has been used off-label to treat multiple ocular conditions for almost two decades. Reference bevacizumab, Avastin, was discontinued in Australia in 2021. A bevacizumab biosimilar, MVASI, was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of metastatic cancer in 2020. There is limited safety data for the off-label intravitreal use of MVASI. This retrospective study evaluates the safety of intravitreal MVASI. Methods: Retrospective review of all eyes that were given intravitreal MVASI at all metropolitan public hospitals in South Australia between 1st May 2022 and 30th May 2024. Demographic data, injection indications, number of injections per eye, whether patients were switched to another agent, and associated complications were collected from electronic and paper medical records. Results: A total of 6230 injections were given to 1682 eyes in this study. The mean age of the study population was 69.8 ± 15.6 years. The overall mean number of MVASI injections given per eye was 3.7 ± 2.9 (range 1–21). The indications for treatment were neovascular age-related macular degeneration (2106 injections; 33.8%), diabetic macular oedema (1634 injections; 26.2%), branch retinal vein occlusion (695 injections; 11.2%), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (596 injections; 9.6%), central retinal vein occlusion (558 injections; 9.0%) and other (641 injections; 10.3%). Significant sight-threatening complications included 3 cases of bacterial endophthalmitis (0.05%) and 3 cases of uveitis (0.05%). No cases of retinal vasculitis were observed. Conclusions: Intravitreal MVASI had a similar ophthalmic safety profile and may be used as an alternative to Avastin.

AB - Background: Intravitreal bevacizumab has been used off-label to treat multiple ocular conditions for almost two decades. Reference bevacizumab, Avastin, was discontinued in Australia in 2021. A bevacizumab biosimilar, MVASI, was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of metastatic cancer in 2020. There is limited safety data for the off-label intravitreal use of MVASI. This retrospective study evaluates the safety of intravitreal MVASI. Methods: Retrospective review of all eyes that were given intravitreal MVASI at all metropolitan public hospitals in South Australia between 1st May 2022 and 30th May 2024. Demographic data, injection indications, number of injections per eye, whether patients were switched to another agent, and associated complications were collected from electronic and paper medical records. Results: A total of 6230 injections were given to 1682 eyes in this study. The mean age of the study population was 69.8 ± 15.6 years. The overall mean number of MVASI injections given per eye was 3.7 ± 2.9 (range 1–21). The indications for treatment were neovascular age-related macular degeneration (2106 injections; 33.8%), diabetic macular oedema (1634 injections; 26.2%), branch retinal vein occlusion (695 injections; 11.2%), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (596 injections; 9.6%), central retinal vein occlusion (558 injections; 9.0%) and other (641 injections; 10.3%). Significant sight-threatening complications included 3 cases of bacterial endophthalmitis (0.05%) and 3 cases of uveitis (0.05%). No cases of retinal vasculitis were observed. Conclusions: Intravitreal MVASI had a similar ophthalmic safety profile and may be used as an alternative to Avastin.

KW - Avastin

KW - biosimilar

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KW - MVASI

KW - safety

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DO - 10.1111/ceo.14515

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:86000290031

SN - 1442-6404

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SP - 523

EP - 528

JO - Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology

JF - Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology

IS - 5

ER -

Safety of an Intravitreal Bevacizumab Biosimilar (MVASI)

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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