What Is Bavencio (Avelumab) for Mesothelioma?
Avelumab, also known by its brand name Bavencio, is a type of immunotherapy for mesothelioma. It’s co-developed by Merck KGaA (Germany) and Pfizer.
Immunotherapy helps the immune system more easily detect mesothelioma cells. Avelumab is part of a group of immunotherapy medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors. It targets a specific protein made by mesothelioma cells called PD-L1, which serves as a “checkpoint” for the immune system.
Mesothelioma cells use PD-L1 to hide from T-cells made by the immune system to fight threats like cancer. Avelumab stops this from happening so that malignant mesothelioma cells can be killed. As of 2025, avelumab has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mesothelioma. It is currently being studied in clinical trials to evaluate its safety and effectiveness.
Key Facts on Avelumab Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma
- Brand name: Bavencio
- Combined treatments: Chemotherapy and radiation
- Delivery methods: Administered intravenously (IV)
- Common side effects: Reactions to infusion, fatigue, chills, and fever
- Life expectancy: 8.5 months to 1 year
Download our Free Immunotherapy Guide to learn more about how this type of treatment can help you after a mesothelioma diagnosis.
How Does Bavencio (Avelumab) for Mesothelioma Work?
Avelumab works by stopping mesothelioma cells from hiding from your immune system. When your body is fighting an illness like cancer, it makes T cells to destroy cancer cells. T cells use a protein called PD-1 to help determine which cells should be attacked.
However, mesothelioma cells can use proteins like PD-L1 that bind to the PD-1 on the T cells. The PD-L1 serves as a “checkpoint,” preventing the T cells from destroying the cancer cells.
Avelumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor. In other words, it blocks PD-L1 so T cells can more easily kill mesothelioma cells, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Doctors are studying how avelumab can be used with other treatments to help more patients live longer. For example, a recent trial showed that patients who received avelumab and radiation could live for around 1 year on average.
Oncologists (cancer doctors) continue to explore how avelumab could be used as part of a broader mesothelioma treatment plan to help patients live longer and improve quality of life.
When Is Bavencio (Avelumab) Used for Mesothelioma?
As of 2025, you can only receive avelumab for mesothelioma through clinical trials. These trials study emerging treatments to see how effective they are in treating mesothelioma. Doctors usually combine avelumab with other types of mesothelioma therapy.
Avelumab is being tested:
- Alongside radiation
- As a follow-up treatment after chemotherapy
- By itself
- With other immunotherapy drugs
Cancer specialists have tested avelumab in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma, the most common type that affects the lining of the lungs, as well as peritoneal mesothelioma, which develops in the lining of the abdomen.
Use our Free Doctor Match to connect with cancer specialists who can determine if immunotherapy is right for you.
Bavencio (Avelumab) Clinical Trials
Recent and ongoing mesothelioma clinical trials have shown how avelumab can potentially help patients. See what notable avelumab mesothelioma studies found and what the results mean for you.
JAVELIN Trial
- Treatments tested: Avelumab and chemotherapy
- Type of mesothelioma: Pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma
- Results: Patients lived almost 1 year in some cases
This phase I study was organized by leading specialists like Dr. Raffit Hassan. It involved using avelumab as an adjuvant (follow-up) treatment for advanced mesothelioma.
Both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients qualified to receive avelumab alone or combined with chemotherapy.
The average progression-free survival was over 4 months. The cancer stopped growing in 58% of patients. The overall survival of mesothelioma patients was 8.5 to 11.2 months. Patients tended to live longer if they’d received multiple therapies before starting avelumab.
“We showed that avelumab was well-tolerated by patients. Most of the side effects were mild and manageable.”
Avelumab and Radiation Trial
- Treatments tested: Avelumab and SBRT
- Type of mesothelioma: Pleural mesothelioma
- Results: Patients lived for 1 year on average
In this phase I study, mesothelioma patients received a combination of avelumab and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Avelumab doses were provided every other week, and SBRT helped to shrink tumors.
Notably, avelumab and SBRT stopped mesothelioma tumors from growing for nearly 4 months on average, a figure known as the progression-free survival time.
If their cancer stopped growing or shrank, patients could continue receiving avelumab for up to 2 years.
REGOMUNE Trial
- Treatments tested: Avelumab and regorafenib
- Type of mesothelioma: Pleural mesothelioma
- Results: Patients lived for nearly 1 year on average
The REGOMUNE phase II trial is investigating whether using avelumab and targeted therapy called regorafenib will help patients with metastatic mesothelioma and other solid tumor cancers. Doctors are looking to steadily increase the dose of regorafenib while providing the same avelumab dose throughout.
This French study began in 2018 and is still ongoing today, with more patients being recruited. However, preliminary results reported in 2021 found that patients had an average life expectancy of nearly 11 months.
Call (866) 608-8933 to find out if you can join a mesothelioma clinical trial testing avelumab or other immunotherapies. We can review your options with you.
IOA-244 Trial
- Treatments tested: IOA-244, avelumab, and chemotherapy
- Type of mesothelioma: Pleural mesothelioma
- Results: To be announced (study in progress)
The IOA-244 phase I study is looking to see how a new medication called IOA-244 (roginolisib), along with avelumab and chemotherapy, can help patients facing many types of malignancies (cancers). This included patients with metastatic mesothelioma, which has spread through the body.
Mesothelioma patients received IOA-244 once a day, along with avelumab doses every 2 weeks and the chemotherapy drugs pemetrexed and cisplatin every 3 weeks. The study is currently in its final stages and is not recruiting patients.
Preliminary results were released in 2022. While they aren’t specific to mesothelioma, the study authors noted broadly that many patients tolerated the treatment combination well and were hopeful that it could help a wider range of people.
Avelumab Side Effects
Like most mesothelioma treatments, avelumab can cause side effects. These symptoms are usually mild to moderate and often improve with medication and monitoring.
Side effects of avelumab for mesothelioma include:
- Chills
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Rash
- Swelling of hands or feet (peripheral edema)
Avelumab side effects vary from patient to patient. Some patients feel fine during treatment, while others experience serious immune-related complications or adverse events like pneumonitis (lung inflammation), colitis (inflamed large intestine), thyroid issues, and type 1 diabetes.
Always report any side effects or discomfort to your oncology (cancer care) team while you receive avelumab. They can then recommend options to help you feel better.
Download our Free Immunotherapy Guide to learn about potential side effects and what can be done to manage them.
What to Expect When Getting Bavencio (Avelumab) for Mesothelioma
Avelumab is only available through mesothelioma clinical trials, and each one has its own specific regimen. With that said, you’ll typically receive avelumab doses on a biweekly basis, be monitored for any side effects, and receive regular follow-up care.
Learn what you can generally expect from avelumab mesothelioma treatments below.
1. Receive Avelumab Doses Every 2 Weeks
Avelumab is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion, meaning it’s delivered through a vein. You’ll usually get treatment once every two weeks. This is known as a cycle, and it allows your body to recover from any possible side effects of avelumab.
2. Monitor Mesothelioma Response and Side Effects
Your cancer care team will closely monitor how your mesothelioma responds to avelumab. This includes checking to see if the cancer tumors have shrunk or stopped growing, and if you’re experiencing any serious side effects.
To lower your risk of infusion-related reactions, such as chills, fever, or rash, your doctor may recommend taking medication like Benadryl or Tylenol before each avelumab dose. These help your body handle the drug more comfortably. Your doctor may adjust these based on how you respond.
3. Continue or Adjust Your Treatment Plan
Mesothelioma clinical trials may allow you to continue getting avelumab for months or even years if your cancer is responding well to it and you don’t have serious side effects.
However, your mesothelioma doctor can also recommend additional or different treatments if avelumab stops working or if the side effects become too hard to bear.
How to Access Bavencio (Avelumab) for Mesothelioma
Avelumab for mesothelioma is only available through clinical trials. These don’t cost anything to join, meaning you can access the treatment for free.
Avelumab clinical trials aren’t open to all mesothelioma patients, though. Trials have specific criteria as to who can join. For example, the REGOMUNE trial was only offered to patients in France with advanced unresectable mesothelioma (meaning they couldn’t get surgery).
However, our Patient Advocates can help determine if there are clinical trials for avelumab that you may be able to join. We can also assist you and your family in covering costs related to treatment, including travel, lodging, and more.
Learn if Avelumab Is Right for You
Bavencio (avelumab) has helped other mesothelioma patients live longer. As more clinical trials investigate this immunotherapy treatment, doctors are hopeful that it may be used to improve the lives of more patients.
You could potentially qualify to receive avelumab after a mesothelioma diagnosis, too, if there is a clinical trial nearby that you can join.
Avelumab for mesothelioma may help to:
- Boost your life expectancy
- Shrink mesothelioma cancer tumors
- Stop your mesothelioma from getting worse
Work with Mesothelioma Hope to find clinical trials testing Bavencio and other types of mesothelioma immunotherapy. Our Patient Advocates will assist you in any way they can, from finding the best treatments to exploring financial compensation options.
Download our Free Immunotherapy Guide or call (866) 608-8933 to get in touch with us right now.
Avelumab (Bavencio) Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma FAQs
Is avelumab a chemotherapy drug?
No, avelumab is not chemotherapy. It’s an immunotherapy drug. Avelumab works by helping your immune system find mesothelioma tumor cells that are hiding from it.
However, you may receive both avelumab and chemotherapy drugs at the same time. Doctors often combine therapies in what are known as multimodal treatment plans. Using multiple options together could help to destroy more of the cancer.
Is avelumab a PD-1 inhibitor?
Many mesothelioma immunotherapies work by blocking PD-1 or PD-L1, which are proteins on the surface of cells.
Your doctor may refer to avelumab as an “immune checkpoint inhibitor” because the drug inhibits (stops) the PD-L1 on mesothelioma cells from being used as a checkpoint for the T cells. Avelumab is an anti-PD-L1 drug, so it doesn’t inhibit PD-1.
PD-1 is a protein made by your body’s T cells. The T cells look for PD-L1 on other cells. PD-L1 serves as a “checkpoint,” so if the T cells find it, they won’t kill those cells. However, mesothelioma cells can make PD-L1 to avoid being killed.
Avelumab prevents the mesothelioma cells from using PD-L1 so that the T cells can destroy it.
What is the success rate of avelumab?
Avelumab has successfully helped mesothelioma patients live cancer-free for longer periods of time. In the recent JAVELIN study, avelumab and chemotherapy stopped mesothelioma from growing in over 53% of patients. This is also known as stable disease.
Other studies have noted that mesothelioma patients treated with avelumab and other options like radiation and chemotherapy have lived for up to 1 year on average. There have also been partial responses or complete responses, meaning the cancer tumors have shrunk or disappeared completely.
In many cases, the patients had already received different antitumor treatments or had late-stage cancer, so an extra year of life was significant.
Call (866) 608-8933 to find out if avelumab or other mesothelioma immunotherapy treatments could help you live longer.
Is avelumab FDA approved?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved avelumab for mesothelioma yet. However, the drug is approved for other types of cancers, such as Merkel cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma.
If more clinical trials show that avelumab could help mesothelioma patients live longer, the FDA could one day approve it as a standard treatment.
How long do side effects from avelumab for mesothelioma last?
Common side effects of avelumab for mesothelioma, like fatigue or mild infusion reactions, usually resolve within days to weeks. However, more serious side effects like inflammation of the intestines may last longer.
Always make sure to report any potential avelumab side effects to your mesothelioma care team promptly. They can recommend options to help manage them. In some cases, you may need to stop avelumab treatment if the side effects are too severe.
How is avelumab administered?
Avelumab is typically given every two weeks through an IV. Patients can receive multiple cycles of avelumab if disease progression stops or their tumors start to shrink.
Your doctors may recommend continuing on avelumab if you don’t have toxicity (bad reactions or serious side effects) and if your cancer starts to go away or doesn’t get worse.
Contact us now for help accessing avelumab and other immunotherapies for mesothelioma that could extend your survival.
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